(NOT) TO FORGIVE AND (NOT) TO FORGET

In life, sometimes we have to make choices when it comes to the next course of action once a (bad) relationship is over. When I say relationship, it can mean anything and everything. It can be a relationship between lovers, spouses, colleagues, friends, relatives and even siblings. Should any connection with the other party continue or should it stop? Should any casual relationship be allowed to exist or should everything be best put to rest? Someone who has been hurt badly in a relationship might go for one of these options but it is definitely difficult to make the right decision since a lot of factors can come into play.

a. to forgive and forget
b. to forgive but not to forget
c. not to forgive and not to forget
d. not to forgive but to forget

I have always believed that for everything and anything that has happened, it is better to forgive and forget. All that has changed and I'm not even sure if it's for the better. I am trying to learn to erase certain people, places and memories from my life. It's one of the most difficult decisions that I've made but I do have a lot of scars, bruises and injuries on my soul to prove and I do not want to add even another scratch to it. At the moment, I simply cannot afford to be my 'old self' anymore. My decision might seem harsh and irrational to some people but there is no more room for all these. In other words, the bitter past is over and there will never be a second chance for it to slide back into my life. I have to move on and look to the future. Good experiences will be kept tight in the corners of my mind. That is where they belong. I have always cherished them (and always will) but don't expect me to be bound to them as if they were the most precious things in my life. The opposite, on the other hand, does not even deserve to be part of my life anymore. I've been grounded for too long and I want to learn how to fly. Naturally, I cannot be weighed down by any emotional burden and sentimentality. I am not saying that this is going to be my principle forever since nothing ever stays the same but at this moment, this is how I feel...