Okay, real talk: forgiveness quotes used to sound like the cheesiest, most fake-it-till-you-make-it bullshit ever sold on a Pinterest board. I’m sitting here in my freezing living room in central New Jersey, December 1st, wearing three hoodies because the heat’s being dramatic again, and I can finally admit that some forgiveness quotes legitimately cracked something open in me. Like, ugly-cry, snot-on-sleeve, “oh shit I don’t wanna carry this anymore” cracked open. Check The Gospel Coalition
Why Forgiveness Quotes Hit Different When You’re 30-Something and Still Mad About 2017
I used to roll my eyes so hard at the word forgiveness thing. My ex from college? Still had his number saved as “Do Not Answer Ever.” That friend who ghosted me senior year? I’d replay her last text in my head like a true crime podcast. And don’t even get me started on the family stuff; Thanksgiving is basically an Olympic sport in passive-aggressive forgiveness around here. Read on Oprah Daily
But last month I was doom-scrolling at 2 a.m. (classic American move) and stumbled across a random forgiveness quote that made me pause mid-chip-crunch. It hurt in the good way, you know? The way your chest aches when something is terrifyingly accurate.
The 20 Forgiveness Quotes That Actually Set My Heart Free (No Cap)
Here’s the list, with the extremely unfiltered commentary only I can give:
- “Forgive others not because they deserve forgiveness, but because you deserve peace.” – Jonathan Lockwood Huie
→ This one murdered me. I still think some people don’t deserve it, but I’m tired, bro. - “The weak can never forgive. Forgiveness is the attribute of the strong.” – Mahatma Gandhi
→ Felt personally attacked and also weirdly flattered?? - “To forgive is to set a prisoner free and discover that the prisoner was you.” – Lewis B. Smedes
→ Yeah okay Lewis, twist the knife why don’t you. - “Forgiveness is the fragrance that the violet sheds on the heel that has crushed it.” – Mark Twain
→ I hate that this is beautiful. I hate it so much because it’s true. - “I can forgive, but I cannot forget, is only another way of saying, I will not forgive.” – Henry Ward Beecher
→ Called me all the way out at 3 a.m. in my kitchen eating cold pizza. Explore Goodreads
(…and 15 more, but I’ll spare you the full copy-paste. They’re all linked at the bottom from legit sources because SEO gods are watching.)
The Time I Tried to Forgive My Dad and Ended Up Screaming Into a Target Parking Lot
True story: two years ago I decided I was gonna “do the work.” Printed out forgiveness quotes, taped them to my mirror like a psycho, the whole thing. Day 14 I called my dad. Went great for six minutes, then old shit surfaced and I hung up, drove straight to Target, and yelled every curse word I knew in my CR-V with the windows up. Healing is not linear, y’all.
How I Actually Started Letting This Forgiveness Thing Work (Messy Version)
- Wrote the angriest letter imaginable, then burned it in my backyard like a white trash witch (sorry neighbors)
- Said the persons name out loud followed by “I release you” and immediately felt like a cringe YouTube guru, but… it kinda helped?
- Kept repeating the quotes that hurt the most until they stopped hurting
- Let myself be mad AND forgiving at the same time; turns out those can coexist
Final Ramble From My Unmade Bed
Look, I’m still a petty Jersey girl who will probably subtweet someone tomorrow. But carrying all that rage was literally making my shoulders hurt, and I’m too broke for more physical therapy. These forgiveness quotes didn’t fix me, but they gave me enough space to breathe. And breathing > being right, apparently. Visit BrainyQuote
Which quote stings you the most? Drop it in the comments, or tell me I’m full of shit; either way, let’s talk. And maybe, just maybe, let one tiny thing go today. Or don’t. I’m not your mom.
(References & full quote sources: BrainyQuote, Goodreads, and a couple random psychology sites I trust because I’m paranoid.)
Anyway… anyone want to grab Wawa hoagies and talk about betrayal? I’m buying. 🖤
