Forgiveness lets the anger go. It doesn’t require you to hand out new keys.

Letting go of anger and restoring access are two separate decisions. You can put down the resentment, wish someone well, even speak to them warmly, and still not place yourself back within reach of the same harm. Treating the two as one is what makes people afraid to forgive at all. The release is for you; the access is a judgment call.

Ask the two questions separately and out loud. What are you ready to stop carrying, and what are you willing to risk again. The answers do not have to arrive on the same day.