Invent a holiday! Explain how and why everyone should celebrate.

If I could invent a holiday, I’d make one for forgiveness. We have holidays for everything else—love, independence, groundhogs predicting the weather—but not for the thing that actually helps us stay connected to each other.

Forgiveness Day wouldn’t be about pretending nothing ever happened, or letting people off the hook for wild behavior. It would simply be a day where we remember we’re all a little imperfect and a little tired, and sometimes we get it wrong. It’s more about exhaling than excusing. More about letting go than letting someone run loose.

Maybe you’d finally tell your sister, “Okay, yes, I still think about that time you ate my leftovers, but I’m ready to move on.” Or text a friend, “I realized I’ve been upset at you for something I can’t even fully remember, so I’m just… releasing it into the universe.” The other person doesn’t have to grovel. You don’t have to pretend it never hurt. You just get a moment of peace.

No mandatory hugs. No group therapy circles. Just a gentle reminder that we’re human, which is already hard enough.

And for the record, snacks are encouraged. Forgiveness is emotional cardio. We need fuel.