Do I Have to Forgive?
by Teresia Smith
After someone has been hurt, at some point they come across the F-word. Forgiveness. After experiencing a trauma, it is very difficult to think of forgiving the person who harmed you – Especially if they never acknowledged what they did or if they never suffered consequences for their actions. Survivors tend to hold tight to their anger, as if in some way, they are punishing the perpetrator with it. The problem, of course, is that their anger harms the survivor much more than it will ever harm the abuser. Perhaps as we examine just what is meant by forgiveness, we should instead think of it more as letting go.