RedditorSouth-Gold-1475knows this all too well.
Throughout his childhood, his mom and stepfamily pushed him aside, treating him less than.
But after he finally left the household, he was able to do quite well for himself.
Meanwhile, thefamilyfound themselves on the brink of homelessness, asking for his help.
Faced with confusing feelings, he turned to netizens for their unbiased opinions.
Licensed counselor Julia Hoganurgespeople to keep in mind that forgiveness doesnt equal forgetting.
She admits that its common for family members to pretend that nothing happened after they hurt each other.
Ill just ignore it and pretend like it never happened.
But I am choosing to not wish revenge or retribution on you.
Forgiveness also doesnt mean that their behavior is acceptable.
Therefore, it might be a good idea to set some boundaries that respect the wronged persons feelings.
She notes that taking such measures is crucial to protecting an individuals mental health.
If the person is continuing their hurtful behavior, Hogan recommends limiting the time spent with them.
The setting in which you interact with them also matters.
Remember, theres always the possibility of removing yourself from a conversation when things become hostile.
On the other hand, those with higher levels of forgiveness werent affected by lifetime stress as much.
Letting go of grudges is important, as they can carry over to other relationships, negatively affecting them.
That said, there are cases when its not right to excuse someone for their wrongdoings.
Forgiveness is something an individual can do by themselves and for themselves without having to explain it to others.
Check out the results:
