Forgive – The Merriam-Webster dictionary’s definition is; to give up resentment – to pardon – to absolve – to grant relief from payment. It is such a simple word, and yet it sparks such controversy. Should people forgive each other for their transgressions?

Many people cannot and will not forgive each other for the most trivial reasons. Families are broken up because sisters and brothers, parents and children, nieces and nephews refuse to talk to each other. As months and years pass, it becomes almost impossible to resolve their differences. Many times people even forget why they argued in the first place. What a shame that people can’t say I’m sorry right after a disagreement. I, myself had the experience of losing a long-time friend because of a silly misunderstanding. I apologized to her, but she could not find it in her heart to forgive me. C’est la vie!!!

In the business world, people have stolen money from employers or partners who trusted them. Some of them were sent to jail, and others were forgiven for their mistakes.

Many people are not on speaking terms with family members because they were not invited to weddings or Bar Mitzvahs, while their siblings received formal invitations. Every year on Yom Kippur, the Jewish community gathers together in Synagogues around the world to ask God for forgiveness for their sins and start the new year with a clean slate. God can forgive us, but humans have a difficult time doing the same. I could almost write a book about this subject. There is so much to say. To sum up, my topic, I would like to add that not only does forgiveness affect the heart and mind, but also your physiological health. Bitterness and anger can lead to strokes and heart disease. At first, people will be empathetic to you, but after a while, if you stay angry and bitter, people will not want to spend time with you. I hope this topic that I chose makes you think about the consequences of staying angry with people who hurt you. Lose the excess baggage of resentment, and you will be much happier for doing so.