Ladies of Hive Contest #250 – Do You Forgive and Forget?
Forgiving or forgetting – that’s always a hard question. Personally, I believe that forgiveness brings us peace, and this peace is the real answer. We cannot truly erase painful experiences from our memory – they stay with us. We can push them aside, put them in the background, but if we don’t forgive, the hurt continues to act like poison inside us.
What someone does to us says more about them than about us. And yes, forgiving is not easy at all. But once we do, our heart and mind can move on – without bitterness, without regret, living in harmony with ourselves.
I had to learn this through a very personal and painful story. I had a best friend, Edyta – we met when I was 5 years old, she was a year older than me, and our friendship lasted until just a week or two before my wedding. She was supposed to be my maid of honor, but suddenly she backed out. Why? Because for some months she had been dating my ex-boyfriend – my teenage love from high school. Honestly, I didn’t mind. I had introduced them myself after he returned from England. But Edyta convinced herself that he still loved me, and she couldn’t handle it. So instead of being there for me, she left me right before one of the most important days of my life.
It was painful. I had to find someone else last minute, and it wasn’t easy in church arrangements. Thankfully, my aunt stepped in and saved me. Still, the betrayal hurt deeply. For a long time, I carried this pain. Eventually, I forgave her. I was even open to rebuilding a neutral relationship – maybe not as close as before, but at least to have a coffee, a chat now and then. Unfortunately, her own struggles, insecurities, and toxic relationship patterns destroyed any chance of reconnecting.
But I moved on. If I had carried the resentment inside, it would have kept me stuck, afraid to build new friendships. Forgiveness gave me freedom – it allowed me to close that chapter and live with an open heart.
I try to give people trust, to treat others the way I want to be treated. Of course, this opens the door to being hurt sometimes, but I also know how to set boundaries and stand up for myself and for those who are weaker. Forgiving doesn’t mean allowing others to hurt us again. It means releasing ourselves from pain and walking forward.
That is why I choose forgiveness – not to excuse others, but to keep my own peace of mind and good relationships with the people who truly matter.
✨ This is my entry for Ladies of Hive Community Contest #250.
Special thanks to our wonderful organizers:
@ladiesofhive 💃 | @crosheille 🌸 | @brittandjosie 🌺 | @farm-mom 🌻
Ladies of Hive Contest #250 – Czy wybaczyć i zapomnieć?
Wybaczyć czy zapomnieć – to zawsze trudne pytanie. Ja wierzę, że to wybaczenie daje nam spokój, a ten spokój jest prawdziwą odpowiedzią. Nie możemy tak naprawdę wymazać bolesnych doświadczeń z pamięci – one zostają z nami. Możemy je zepchnąć na dalszy plan, ale jeśli nie wybaczymy, ten ból wciąż będzie działał w nas jak trucizna.
To, co ktoś nam robi, mówi więcej o nim niż o nas. A tak – wybaczanie wcale nie jest łatwe. Ale kiedy już to zrobimy, nasze serce i umysł mogą pójść dalej – bez goryczy, bez żalu, w zgodzie ze sobą.
Tego nauczyłam się na własnej, bolesnej historii. Miałam najlepszą przyjaciółkę, Edytę – poznałyśmy się, gdy miałam 5 lat, ona była rok starsza. Nasza przyjaźń trwała aż do tygodnia czy dwóch przed moim ślubem. Miała być moją świadkową, ale nagle się wycofała. Dlaczego? Bo od kilku miesięcy spotykała się z moim byłym chłopakiem – moją młodzieńczą miłością z liceum. I szczerze? Mi to nie przeszkadzało. Sama ich ze sobą poznałam, gdy on wrócił z Anglii. Ale Edyta wmówiła sobie, że on wciąż mnie kocha, i nie potrafiła sobie z tym poradzić. Zamiast być przy mnie, zostawiła mnie w tak ważnym momencie mojego życia.
Bolało. Musiałam w ostatniej chwili znaleźć inną świadkową, co w przypadku ślubu kościelnego wcale nie było proste. Na szczęście moja ciocia uratowała sytuację. Jednak zdrada przyjaciółki bolała mnie bardzo długo. Ostatecznie jej wybaczyłam. Byłam nawet gotowa odbudować choćby neutralną relację – może nie tak bliską jak dawniej, ale choćby na wspólną kawę czy rozmowę od czasu do czasu. Niestety jej własne problemy, niskie poczucie wartości i toksyczne związki zniszczyły i naszą przyjaźń, i jej życie.
Ja poszłam dalej. Gdybym nosiła w sobie ten żal, tkwiłabym w miejscu, bała się nowych relacji. Wybaczenie dało mi wolność – pozwoliło zamknąć tamten rozdział i żyć z otwartym sercem.
Staram się dawać ludziom kredyt zaufania i traktować innych tak, jak sama chciałabym być traktowana. Oczywiście czasem oznacza to ryzyko, że ktoś mnie zrani. Ale wiem też, jak stawiać granice, potrafię powiedzieć „nie” i stanąć w obronie słabszych. Wybaczenie nie oznacza, że pozwalamy krzywdzić się ponownie. To oznacza, że uwalniamy siebie od bólu i idziemy naprzód.
Dlatego wybieram wybaczenie – nie po to, by usprawiedliwiać innych, ale by chronić własny spokój i dobre relacje z ludźmi, którzy naprawdę się liczą.
✨ To mój wpis na Ladies of Hive Community Contest #250.
Szczególne podziękowania dla naszych wspaniałych organizatorek:
@ladiesofhive 💃 | @crosheille 🌸 | @brittandjosie 🌺 | @farm-mom 🌻
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If this isn’t the truth, I don’t know what is.
Thank you
You put it beautifully – forgiveness is really about freedom. I’m grateful my post connected with you in this way.
I agree with you, what someone does to us says more about that person than about us, it is what is reflected in the personal history with your friend and that you share with us, because although it is not easy to forgive, as you say, it allowed you to move forward, contrary to holding on to resentment, it would have stagnated you with fear of forging new friendships, as well as what you express: "Forgiveness gave me freedom; it allowed me to close that chapter and live with an open heart", thank you for sharing your experiences,
!LADY
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Thank you so much for your thoughtful words 💙. You are absolutely right – forgiveness really is more about freeing ourselves than excusing the other person’s actions. I also believe that resentment can hold us back, while forgiveness opens doors to new friendships and peace of mind. I’m glad my experience resonated with you 🙏.
!LADY
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I loved reading your post. We agree that forgiveness sets us free. I'm sorry about your friend, but in the end, her actions showed that she wasn't really your friend. Sometimes what happens is for the best, because we can be clear about who we want in our lives and who we don't. Hugs!
Thank you so much for your kind words 💕 You are right – sometimes painful experiences help us see more clearly who truly belongs in our lives. Forgiveness brings peace, even if forgetting isn’t always possible. Sending hugs back! 🤗
Thank you
Thank you for sharing your story, it was so brave 🙌 The way you explained that forgiveness is about our own peace and not about excusing others' actions really resonated with me ✨ You're so right that holding onto resentment only holds us back. It's a powerful and freeing message 💕
Thank you so much for your kind words 💕 I’m really glad the message resonated with you. Forgiveness truly is more about finding our own peace than anything else ✨ Sending you love and light 🌸