We are trapped by our unwillingness to let go of resentment over whatever slights or offenses we remember. Our monkey-mind thoughts will not let go of the past. And so we are trapped in the incident, playing its broken record somewhere in the back of our minds. Whoever gave the offense may be free, but we are not. We are trapped in pain and resentment until we can convince ourselves to let go and to forgive.
Forgiveness seems like such a simple thing.
I just may not feel like it. But that is exactly the point. We are caught in our feelings. If we live anywhere with other people, forgiveness is a necessary ingredient in our everyday lives. Most of us have learned to let many little infractions pass, with forgiveness easily meted out in order to live in harmony with our fellow human travelers.