Forgive and Forget

Many people view forgiveness as an offshoot of love, a gift given freely to those who have hurt you.

Forgiveness, however, may bring enormous benefits to the person who gives that gift, according to recent research. If we can bring ourselves to forgive and forget, we are likely to enjoy lower blood pressure, a stronger immune system, and a drop in the stress hormones circulating in your blood, studies suggest. Back pain, stomach problems, and headaches may disappear. And we'll reduce the anger, bitterness, resentment, depression, and other negative emotions that accompany the failure to forgive.

Of course, forgiving is notoriously difficult. And forgetting may not be a realistic or desirable goal.

'forgive and forget,' most of us find forgetting nearly impossible for forgiveness does not involve a literal forgetting. Nevertheless, forgiveness involves remembering graciously. The forgiver remembers the true though painful parts, but without the embellishment of angry adjectives and adverbs that stir up contempt.