Dear future incarnation,

Forgiveness isn’t a favor to them. It’s an act of self-love and self-liberation.
So you can dance and enjoy life, again.

You might think that forgiveness is about condoning harm, excusing an inexcusable act, or pretending it didn’t happen. Or perhaps you see it as letting someone off the hook, releasing them from a justified punishment.

Deep down you already know: Punishment cannot undo the past. It doesn’t erase what happened or bring back what was lost. You might feel satisfaction when someone is punished for their wrongdoing—but it won’t last long and never, never heal the wound or return things to how they once were.

The truth is, revenge and retaliation keeps you chained to the pain. You feed it instead of free yourself from it.

Forgiveness is not about erasing accountability. It’s about breaking the cycle of pain that ties you to the hurt. It’s not a denial of what happened but a refusal to let hatred, anger or resentment define you.

True forgiveness is about choosing yourself. About choosing to reclaim your power, peace and joy over revenge and bitterness. About taking care of yourself, without relying on the people who have hurt you.