Some people soften with time.

They feel regret.
Remorse.

A need to make something right.

Not always through words.

But perhaps through actions.
Practical help.
Care.
Attempts to be there.

For some, this is their way of trying to restore a sense of balance.

But even when people feel regret,
it does not necessarily mean that everything gets resolved.

Some conversations never happen.

Some people are never able to fully face the emotions involved.

And perhaps this is exactly where forgiveness is often misunderstood.

Forgiveness does not always mean accepting what happened.

Nor does it mean pretending that something did not hurt.

Sometimes, forgiveness is about:

releasing the body from having to carry the tension forward.

Letting go of the constant inner struggle.

Not allowing old wounds to continue regulating the nervous system.

Because when emotions are held back for a long time,
they are often felt in the body:

in the stomach,
in the lower back,
in the breath,
in the muscles.

Not as punishment.

But as signals.

The body often tries to hold what we have not been able to release.

That is why healing is sometimes not about getting the perfect closure from someone else.

But about giving ourselves what the body has been waiting for:

calm,
acknowledgment,
boundaries,
and gradual release.

Not for their sake.

But for our own. 🌿💜