4 Reasons Why Forgiveness is Worth It

The upside of letting go

It’s Monday morning. Time for blueberry pancakes with my ex-husband.

He is my ex-husband because, after 43 years of marriage, he dumped me for some miscreant he lives with (sorry). He brings the pancakes, steaming with hot berries and dripping butter and syrup. We talk about our weeks. We notice new things about each other.

Some of you may be thinking, “Girl, what the hell are you doing?”

I’m walking the long road toward forgiving him.

As a psychologist, I know the research.

Why am I learning to forgive him?

Because I can’t afford not to.

Psychologists define forgiveness as the conscious, deliberate choice to let go of anger and vengeance toward a group or person who has harmed you, whether or not they deserve it.

1. Forgiveness is good for you.

People who forgive are more satisfied with their lives. They have lower levels of depression, anxiety and PTSD than people who don’t. Holding on to grudges is bad for the immune system. People tend to feel more relieved and positive…