Forgiveness is mostly about releasing resentment, bitterness, and the emotional grip the hurt has on you—for your own peace and freedom, not necessarily for the other person’s benefit. It’s a deliberate choice to stop letting anger control you.
But forgetting the actual events? That’s usually neither realistic nor wise, especially if the harm was significant. Memories don’t just vanish (short of some rare neurological issue), and psychology backs this up: true forgiveness doesn’t erase recall; it changes how the memory feels. The sting fades, the misery lessens, but the facts stay, and that’s often protective.