People talk about forgiveness like it’s the end of something. A final note. A clean cut. But most of the time, it’s a placeholder. A decision we make when we know we’re not getting the thing we actually want: an apology, an explanation, or the version of them that might’ve done things differently.
Forgiveness is often mistaken for growth. But growth doesn’t always require forgiveness. Sometimes it requires clarity. Sometimes it means seeing someone clearly and choosing not to carry them forward. Not out of resentment, but out of recognition. Not everything deserves a sequel.
I’ve forgiven people who never said sorry. I’ve withheld forgiveness from people who did. Because apologies don’t always bring peace, and forgiveness isn’t always owed. Especially when it’s demanded.
I don’t believe in mandatory grace. Or in rewriting a story just so it hurts less to remember.
There are people I’ll never speak to again. Not because I’m bitter. But because the boundary was the breakthrough. The distance was the cure. Some things are resolved by absence, not understanding.
Forgiveness can be powerful. But so can the choice to walk away without needing to label it.