Forgive and forget. What does it really mean? Sure you can just say “I forgive you” to someone who wronged you, but do you really? Have you truly lost all the grudges you've held, or are you just saying that to be nice?

You may not know this, but forgiveness comes gradually. It's not just like one second things are bad and the next it's not. Forgiving someone is a lot easier said than done.

I mean some people are like that, but not all. For most, there's pain and anger for an extended period of time. It sometimes takes months, if not years, to truly forgive someone for what they've done.

But what is forgiveness? Is it just accepting things for what they are, or is there some sort of emotional state you're supposed to achieve? It's different for everyone.

For me, it's letting go of whatever hardships and grudges against the other person. It's accepting that they were wrong and not persecuting them for it. They might not get a second chance, but it's not the end of the world.

If someone does something to upset another, it's no reason to beat them over the head with it. If they're truly sorry, they will prove that to you. If they mean it, you especially have no right to chastise them for it.

Sure forgetting takes a lot longer, but hopefully through the pain you feel, you can rationalize your thinking and come to the realization that you're going to hurt even more by holding a grudge.

The longer you stay angry, the longer it's going to hurt. Sure it's not easy to let go, but things will turn out for the best.