Forgiveness. Letting go of resentment. Reconciliation. Leaving the past in the past. Love lets bygones be bygones and. Love forgives and forgets.
_________________________________________________________________
From Oxford Dictionaries:
Forgive:
- stop feeling angry or resentful toward (someone) for an offense, flaw, or mistake: "I don't think I'll ever forgive David for the way he treated her"synonyms: pardon · excuse · exonerate · absolve · make allowances for · feel no resentment toward · feel no malice toward · harbor no grudge against · bury the hatchet with · [more]
- (be forgiven) stop feeling angry or resentful toward someone for (an offense, flaw, or mistake): "they are not going to pat my head and say all is forgiven" · [more]
- cancel (a debt): "he proposed that their debts should be forgiven"
- used in polite expressions as a request to excuse or regard indulgently one's foibles, ignorance, or impoliteness: "you will have to forgive my suspicious mind"synonyms: excuse · overlook · disregard · ignore · pass over · make allowances for · allow · turn a blind eye to · turn a deaf ear to · wink at · indulge · tolerate
_________________________________________________________________
I don't think love allows abuse to continue again and again, but it does offer second chances. It turns the other cheek. It gives the benefit of the doubt. It forgives. It forgets. Love doesn't keep a resentment list of past grievances, to bring up in the heat of the moment. It doesn't hold grudges. Love looks forward. Love is now.
Because love keeps no record of wrongs.
_________________________________________________________________
From Oxford Dictionaries:
Grudge:
- a persistent feeling of ill will or resentment resulting from a past insult or injury: "she held a grudge against her former boss"synonyms: grivence · resentment · bitterness · rancor · pique · umbrage
- be resentfully unwilling to give, grant, or allow (something): "he grudged the work and time that the meeting involved"synonyms: begrudge · resent · feel aggrieved about · be resentful of · mind
_________________________________________________________________
Love is cautious. Although it forgives, it doesn't allow continuous harm. For example, if someone harms your child, you can find it within yourself to forgive them and forget, but not to the point of letting your guard down for it to happen again. Love believes in the goodness of people, but love also protects and is just. Love doesn't harbor resentment for years and years. Love allows forgiveness. Not only towards others, but towards ourselves. Sometimes it's difficult to forgive yourself when you know your own past. But love forgives, allowing you to focus on the good, learn from the bad, and move on with your life.