Dear Aida,

Forgiveness is one of the most misunderstood acts of strength.
People treat it as surrender, as weakness, as letting someone “off the hook.”
Others weaponize it — urging you to forgive quickly so they can avoid discomfort.

But forgiveness, real forgiveness, is neither soft nor naive.

Forgiveness is clarity.
Forgiveness is boundary.
Forgiveness is release.

And the only way to forgive without becoming a doormat is to understand what forgiveness is — and what it is not.