So picture this: You get a text from your "friend" Jo, whom you've worked with for years. Jo says she can't hang out with you on Friday because she's going out of town this weekend. Fair enough. But then imagine your surprise when you find yourself driving by your favorite watering hole to see Jo parking her car and meeting some other friends in the front foyer. Your heart sinks. Your mind immediately goes into a tailspin as you start to recreate, mentally, what you might have possibly done to be snubbed so badly by Jo in this case. Not only did Jo lie to you, but Jo made it clear that she'd rather hang out with others than with you. Jo is giving you clear signals that she does not value you as a friend.

You see Jo at work on Monday morning, and you walk into her office and close the door. You can't help yourself. You tell her all about your experience and how hurt you are by it. Jo seems to have been caught a bit off guard. She mutters something about plans having changed at the last minute and says she didn't mean anything by it toward you. While her pretext, which may or may not be true, was designed as something of an apology, you find yourself having a hard time accepting that apology. In short, you find it hard to forgive her.

After a few minutes of this, you awkwardly head to your office and call your sister, who is always there for you to vent to. You tell her the whole story and she is clearly angry on your behalf.

As a life rule, you always try to see the bright side of others and you really wantˆ to forgive Jo. But it seems like it may well be a difficult undertaking.

Fast-forward three months: You and Jo are barely making eye contact in the hallways at work. And you have blocked each other on social media. Part of you still wants to forgive her. However, every time you even think about forgiving her, you find yourself simply unable to do it.

Forgiveness is not always the easiest........

© Psychology Today