Learning How To Forgive And Forget

I had a fight with a colleague once. Well, not exactly the fight you’re thinking, but it resulted in me raising my voice at him and lashed out hotly at him. It was during my tumultuous younger years. I was working on my own, just quietly and independently. Knowing me, I really get pissed off when I’m absorbed in my work and somebody pesters and annoys me with nonsensical matters just trying to get some attention.

I mean, it’s okay if it’s work related and if they need help, advice, opinion or anything, but it’s a different matter if that person started ruining your day like a child. Well, what do you know, my fellow workmates were quite shocked at me acting like that since it was the first time I really got mad at somebody.

The culprit was even more shocked at my reaction. But he was embarrassed, and he said sorry over and over again. Saying, he was just kidding Okay, after that moment, I felt embarrassed myself too. It actually took me some minutes to regain my composure and I took a deep breath and told him it’s okay, apology accepted.

It happened all too long ago and each time I recalled that incident in my life, the phrase forgive and forget usually comes to mind. Though this phrase is too cliché and overused already, yet, if you think about it, how to forgive and forget is not that easy to do.

Alexander Pope once said, “To err is human, to forgive is divine.” Sure for some people, it’s not easy to forgive. How much more to forget—but in your own time and you don't have to force yourself. If you think about it, we have a choice to react to how we feel.

Not all of us are easily angered, pissed, or get upset and their high level of tolerance and may I say patience is a great gift. They know how to forgive and forget easily. But if you really dig deeper about it, to forgive and forget can be a big favor to ourselves.

Why—it’s because if we learn to forgive and forget, we let go and let lose of our deep-seated hurt and pain we feel lighter. When we forgive and forget, we don’t hold on to our resentment, bitterness and grudges. Health-wise, you lessen stress, lower your heart rate, there’s less hostilities, you lower your blood pressure and many others.

And by the way, about that former colleague I clashed with? After a few days of that infamous falling-out incident, we accidentally bumped into each other in a mall and I greeted him first and act as if nothing happened previously and well, you see that everything’s fine and forgotten—again.