WORD ON THE STREET

Do you find it hard to forgive and forget? 

Not at all. People need to understand that forgiveness  is for YOU, not the person who has wronged you.  By holding on to resentment or grudges, you are essentially allowing yourself to be enslaved by that person you are mad at.  Once you forgive and forget, you release all that toxic energy that was bottled up inside. Forgiveness is so freeing. 

Blima L. 

It depends on who did what. With my kids, I am very forgiving, maybe too much.  I can’t help it; when they give me those puppy dog eyes I just turn to mush. When it comes to my husband, coworkers, and relatives, on the other hand, I suppose I can do better.

A.N.

I used to forgive very easily, but now that I’m older, not so much. I found that people took advantage of my easygoing nature and walked all over me.  I’m in my early 70s now, and I care less and less what people think.  I will only forgive if I feel it warrants forgiveness.  

Rose Schwartz

I may forgive, but I will never forget.

A Reader

I struggle with forgiveness because as much as I want to move on, I don’t want to send the message that I accept (or I’m okay with) what the person did to me. 

  Moishy S.

As a divorce attorney,  I see every day the devastation caused by the inability to forgive. It literally destroys families, as well as the individual harboring these negative feelings.  Listen, it keeps me in business, but do yourself a favor and just move on. Forgiveness is a gift to yourself, not a freebie to the other side.

M.K.

Yes. Life is too short to not fargin others.  I also believe that if you forgive easily, Hashem will look favorably upon you and forgive you easily for your transgressions. 

Shira B.