“To forgive is to set a prisoner free and discover that the prisoner was you.” — Lewis B. Smedes

Healing Through Forgiveness is one of life’s most transformative journeys. It is not a simple act or a single decision; it is a gradual release, a process that frees both the heart and the mind. Forgiveness is not about condoning what happened; it is about choosing to no longer be chained to the pain it caused. It is the quiet reclaiming of peace after chaos.

When we are hurt, resentment feels justified. Holding on to it gives a sense of control; a belief that the wound will protect us from future harm. But over time, that same wound begins to define us. It grows heavy, clouding joy, dulling compassion, and hardening the spirit. Healing through forgiveness begins when we decide that our peace is more valuable than our pain.

To forgive does not mean to forget. It means acknowledging the truth, accepting what cannot be changed, and choosing to move forward without carrying the weight of bitterness. Forgiveness is an act of courage, it takes strength to release what once broke you. Yet it is in that release that healing quietly begins.

When we forgive, we make room for renewal. We stop replaying the hurt and start rewriting the story. Healing through forgiveness restores balance to our emotions, allowing light to reach the parts of us that grief once shadowed. It gives us back the power to love, to trust, and to hope again.

Letting go is not weakness; it is wisdom. It means understanding that clinging to resentment keeps us anchored in the past, while forgiveness opens the door to growth. Each act of forgiveness is a step toward freedom, not freedom for the offender, but for ourselves. It is choosing to no longer be defined by what was done to us, but by how we rise beyond it.

The journey of healing through forgiveness also reveals compassion not necessarily for others first, but for ourselves. It teaches us to stop judging our pain, to stop wishing it had been different, and to see that survival itself is an act of grace. As we learn to extend that compassion inward, forgiveness flows outward more easily.

Every act of forgiveness is a return, a return to inner peace, to clarity, to self-trust. It does not erase the past, but it reclaims the future. The past loses its power when the heart chooses release. Through forgiveness, we learn that letting go is not giving up; it is growing up into wholeness, strength, and peace.

Healing Through Forgiveness is not a destination but a continuous practice. There will be moments of relapse, moments when anger resurfaces, but each time we choose peace over pain, we take another step forward. The beauty of forgiveness is that it transforms not only how we see others but how we see ourselves not as victims of the past but as authors of our healing.

In the end, forgiveness is freedom. It is the quiet revolution of the heart a reminder that we do not heal by holding on, but by letting go. And in that letting go, we rediscover the gentle strength of moving forward.

Temitayo Olawunmi

Temitayo Olawunmi is a clinical psychologist in service to Arogi Trauma Care Foundation. She is solution-focused and result-driven. She has a strong passion for delivering exceptional customer service and ensuring clients satisfaction at every touchpoint.