Forgiveness is an act of letting go and of choosing to forgive someone who has wronged or let us down. It's an important thing to do, not just for the person who wronged us, but also for ourselves, because it brings about an opportunity to heal from the hurt and free us from the grip of anger. Many people don't want to forgive those who hurt them, probably because of the gravity of the offense or because they want to protect themselves from having to experience the same thing again. But should those reasons be reason enough to not forgive, or what is the right way to go about these things?
So now the big question is, is forgiveness a show of true strength or just a sign of weakness? If I'm being honest, it's worth noting that the fact that you forgive someone doesn't mean you're weak in any sense. In fact, the ability for you to forgive someone after they wronged you shows that you're strong and have a strong heart that's capable of letting go, not just for peace to reign, but also for both parties to either chase new opportunities or find a different path without having a grudge or inability to have a good sleep.
So in light of the fact that forgiving people isn't a sign of weakness, I'd love to encourage everyone to try as much as possible to forgive everyone who has hurt them, and that's because it helps them heal and brings about an opportunity to get past that phrase, pain, and hurt such a person must have caused us. We must also understand that the fact that you forgive someone doesn't mean you have to open the door to your heart, work, or space for them again. Forgiving doesn't mean you should be foolish by not taking caution when dealing with such people again in the future, and that's if you want to still interact with them.
If you decide to forgive and create a gap between you and them, it doesn't mean you haven't forgiven them; it only means you don't want to give them another opportunity to hurt you once again. I'm not saying that everyone should create a gap between those who hurt them; just be careful and do what you think works for you. If you can still stand them after they hurt you and you forgave them, fine, but if you can't, then go ahead and create the gap after forgiving them.
All photos are mine.