Personally, I think forgiveness is over-rated. There are some moral crimes that should NEVER be forgotten, never be glossed over (forgiven, if you will). Anyone who even attempts to forgive/forget, I believe is setting themselves up to be victimized all over again--by the same person or someone else.

I know that's not a popular opinion. Nor is it one I'd have held, say--10 years ago. But after seeing the damage a family member has done to an entire, wonderful family. How she's stolen, physically harmed her mother, morally hurt every single member--well, I think putting our heads in the sand is just going to make it that much easier for this evil person to harm her next victim. And I realize now, that part of HER problem is that over the years, people have over and over again, forgiven her past transgressions. That feeling of 'getting away with it' regarding small things, gave her the confidence to steal over a quarter of a million, very needed $$$ from someone she's always professed to love (but who she's always taken advantage of over the years--someone who has always forgiven every horrible thing this 'outlaw' has done).

And don't tell me forgiveness is for 'me' (not the thief). For my piece of mind, I need to remind myself daily how truly evil and malignant this woman is, so that I never allow her to hurt me or my family ever again.

Forgiveness is letting go of a bone. It does NOT mean the same as forgetting.

To me, forgetting means acting like "it" never happened, and letting the status quo continue.
Forgiving means realizing that "it" happened, but you will do all you can to not let "it" happen again.
Forgiving does not mean keeping this person in your life, forgetting does.

I like what Monica said.

I can forgive and move on, but I never forget a slight.

I think it's easier to forgive and even that sometimes takes "work"! Short of being brain-dead..I don't think one can "forget"! Whatever it was..it happened and there's no way to just forget it. I do think it's possible that once you've forgiven, you can put the incident where it belongs (it no longer consumes you) and go on with your life.

As Country Bumpkin said, I think it is nearly impossible to forget. And contrary to what most people think (if you are inclined to believe what the Bible says) God does not ask us to forget. God forgets when he forgives. Humans generally don't. Remembering is what keeps us from allowing the wrong action/hurt to occur again. And if we allow the person who wronged us to keep hurting us, and we keep forgiving, that doesn't mean that we forgot, it just means that we're not very smart.

Monica wrote it perfectly.

Even if you want to forget bad things people do/say to you, it's very difficult to remove them from your memory. Forgiving may be easier, but the forgetting part will always remain. At least that's what I've experienced.

I think forgiving is easier than forgetting...For example, there are things my sister did to me, money wise,(not physical), having her name put on property after my mother passed, taking all my mothers things, things like that....For awhile, I had a very hard time until I decided, let it go..She knows what she did was wrong and in a way, (she's had a lot of problems), she's paying. I can't go through life holding a grudge...We are sisters, we talk on the phone, we get together and shop and have lunch. I have forgiven her, but there are things, I will never forget...Sorry to go on and on.....