As Christmas and New Year’s roll around, many of us start thinking about resolutions. We promise to exercise more, spend less time on our phones, or finally tackle that overflowing junk drawer. But what if this year, we focused on something deeper? Something harder? What if we resolved to embrace forgiveness?

The TV series Shrinking offers a perfect lens for this. It’s a story of grief, messy relationships, and the uphill battle to forgive—not just others, but ourselves. As Jason Segel’s character Jimmy stumbles through life after the loss of his wife, he shows us how forgiveness is rarely neat or easy. It’s awkward, painful, and deeply human.

Forgiveness isn’t about forgetting. It’s not about pretending the hurt didn’t happen. It’s about freeing ourselves from the weight of anger, guilt, and regret. It’s about giving ourselves and others the chance to heal and move forward.

But how do we start?

The festive season is often painted as a time of joy, but for many, it’s complicated. Old grievances resurface around the dinner table. Family tensions bubble up. We’re surrounded by people we love, but sometimes it’s the people we love most who’ve hurt us—or who we’ve hurt.

Maybe this year, instead of focusing on perfect decorations or the ideal menu, we could focus on what really matters: connection. Forgiveness doesn’t have to happen all at once. It might just be a moment of listening, a small gesture of kindness, or an honest conversation that says, “I’m willing to try.”

So here’s the real question: what would it take for you to forgive this year?

Is it an apology you’ve been waiting for? Or is it the courage to accept that one may never come? Is it learning to see someone’s flaws alongside their humanity? Or is it the hardest task of all—learning to see your own?

As we enter 2025, let’s think about the kind of weight we want to carry. Anger, regret, and resentment can feel like armour, but they’re also chains. Forgiveness is messy and imperfect, but it’s also liberating.

This Christmas and New Year’s, let’s resolve to take one step—just one—towards forgiveness. For ourselves, for the people we love, and for those we find hardest to love. It won’t be easy, but maybe that’s why it matters so much.

What do you think it would take for you to forgive? Remember, forgiveness doesn’t mean forgetting—it means giving yourself permission to move forward.