People say that forgiving is my flaw, but I really believe that

Opening Scene

The evening air is cool, with a slight breeze that carries the scent of rain from the horizon. The clouds hang low, dark and brooding, but the rain has yet to fall. The world outside feels like it’s holding its breath, waiting for something to happen. Inside, the room is softly lit, the glow of the table lamp casting a warm circle of light across the room. Jack sits in a chair near the window, staring out at the grey sky, his fingers tapping lightly on the armrest. Jeeny, standing by the door, is still, her eyes fixed on him.

Host: The silence between them is thick, heavy with unspoken thoughts. The air around them seems to hum, filled with the weight of a question that neither of them has yet dared to ask. It’s Jeeny who finally breaks the silence, her voice soft but clear.

Jeeny: “You know, sometimes it’s hard to understand how people can just let go of things. There are things that hurt so much, that feel so unjust… but then there are those who just move on as if nothing ever happened.”

Jack: “Yeah. Like they don’t even care. How can they? How do they forgive so easily?”

Jeeny: “Isn’t that the thing? It’s not about not caring. It’s about deciding that anger and grudges aren’t worth holding onto. It’s about letting go, not for them, but for yourself.”

Jack: “But can you really do that? Can you just forgive someone who hurt you that badly? Especially if they never even apologize?”

Jeeny: “It’s not about them, Jack. It’s about you. Forgiving doesn’t mean you forget or let them off the hook. It means you’re choosing not to waste your energy on something that doesn’t serve you. Holding onto anger and grudges only weighs you down. It consumes you.”

Host: The room feels suddenly smaller, the air tighter with the force of Jeeny’s words. Jack shifts in his seat, his brow furrowing, clearly struggling with the concept.

Jack: “But isn’t it a little… naive? To forgive someone who doesn’t deserve it? Doesn’t that make you look weak? Like you don’t stand for anything?”

Jeeny: “That’s the thing. Forgiveness isn’t about weakness, Jack. It’s a kind of strength. It’s saying, ‘I won’t let you have power over me.’ When you hold onto a grudge, you’re letting them control your emotions, your thoughts. You’re giving them space in your mind that they don’t deserve.”

Jack: “But what about justice? What about standing up for what’s right? If you just forgive, aren’t you letting them get away with it?”

Jeeny: “You’re not letting them get away with anything. You’re choosing peace over resentment. You can still stand up for yourself, but that doesn’t mean you have to let that anger consume you. Forgiveness is freedom, Jack. It’s a release from the weight of hatred. It’s not saying what they did was okay, it’s saying that you won’t let it define you.”

Host: The words hang between them, the room filled with a tense silence. Jack’s gaze drops to the floor, his fingers stilling against the armrest. Jeeny’s eyes never leave him, the intensity of her belief in forgiveness clear in every glance. The soft ticking of the clock in the corner feels louder now, almost as if it’s reminding them both of the time lost when we hold onto hurt.

Jack: “I don’t know. It’s hard. Sometimes, I feel like forgiving means I’m just letting them off the hook. Like I’m saying it’s okay to hurt me again.”

Jeeny: “But it’s not about them, Jack. It’s about you. Forgiveness doesn’t mean you open the door to them again. It just means you don’t carry that baggage anymore. Holding grudges and anger takes so much energy, energy you could be using to build something better for yourself.”

Jack: “But don’t you ever feel like you’re being taken advantage of? Like you’re just saying it’s okay for people to treat you like crap?”

Jeeny: “No, because forgiveness doesn’t mean you tolerate bad behavior. It means you stop allowing the past to control your future. You learn, you grow, and you choose how to respond, without being weighed down by the anger of the past. People think holding grudges is a way to keep control, but it’s the opposite. Forgiveness is what truly takes the power back.”

Host: The soft hum of the outside world fades into the background, leaving only their voices in the room. Jack leans forward, his hands clasped together, as if trying to piece together the idea in his mind. Jeeny stands by the window now, her back turned to him, gazing into the distance as if looking for the answer herself.

Jack: “So you really believe that forgiving isn’t a flaw? That it’s not just letting people get away with hurting you?”

Jeeny: “I believe it’s the strongest thing you can do. Forgiveness doesn’t mean weakness, Jack. It’s a choice to stop giving someone else the power to control your feelings. When you hold onto anger, it becomes part of your identity. It’s a waste of your energy, a weight that drags you down every day.”

Jack: “But what about the hurt? What about all the pain they caused?”

Jeeny: “That’s real. The pain is real, but anger and grudges don’t heal it. Forgiveness doesn’t make the pain go away, but it helps you move through it. It gives you the strength to release what you can’t change and focus on what you can — your own peace.”

Host: The air between them is still, the weight of their conversation settling in. Jack is quieter now, his eyes reflecting the internal conflict that has yet to be resolved. Jeeny’s words hang in the silence, her belief in forgiveness as a source of freedom undeterred.

Jack: “Maybe… maybe I’ve been holding onto too much. Maybe I’ve been too focused on the anger and not enough on letting it go.”

Jeeny: “It’s hard, Jack. It’s a constant choice. But in the end, forgiveness isn’t about the other person. It’s about you deciding not to carry that weight anymore. You’re not giving them power, you’re freeing yourself.”

Host: The moment stretches between them, the soft breeze from outside carrying with it a sense of change, of letting go. Jack exhales, a small weight lifting from his shoulders as the room fills with the quiet of newfound understanding.

Jack: “I think I get it now. It’s not about what they deserve. It’s about me choosing to let go, for my own peace.”

Jeeny: “Exactly. And when you do that, you’re no longer tied to the past. You’re free to move forward, to create the life you really want.”

Host: The light outside shifts, casting the room in a soft, golden hue. The air feels lighter, freer. Jack looks at Jeeny, a subtle shift in his expression, a quiet nod of understanding. The world outside continues, but for a moment, they are both still, caught in the quiet power of forgiveness.

Jeeny: “It’s not easy, but it’s worth it.”

Host: And with that, the room feels like it has breathed a little easier. The weight of grudges and anger may still linger in the air, but there’s now a sense of freedom in letting go — a quiet, powerful choice to choose peace over pain.