Do Yourself a Favor: Forgive Someone.

[BocaLady]

Recent research suggests that people who let go of a grudge may experience less pain, anger, anxiety, and depression and may be more content than people who are unable to forgive. So mend some fences and don't let lingering resentment harm your health.

Anger, resentment, hostility, and vengeance can harm your physical and mental health and may even influence your risk of chronic health conditions, such as heart disease.

Conversely, research suggests positive emotions such as forgiveness may have a beneficial effect on health. Achieve forgiveness by talking with a trusted friend, family member, or therapist or by writing about your experiences and feelings in a journal. Forgiving someone does not mean condoning people or situations that have caused you distress or pain. It just means resolving your feelings and not letting upsetting experiences affect your emotional and physical health.

[BocaLady]

That's exactly what I did with my sister (who is my only sibling). We had an argument due to her husband's influence over her, and we stopped speaking to each other. Five years later I decided to called her. I didn't apologize, because I knew that what had happened was not my fault, but I told her that I would like to stay on good terms with her if we didn't bring up the past, and she agreed to it. We occasionally meet for lunch, and a couple of times a year she invites me to holiday dinners with her large extended family, but we'll never be close again.