"Overcoming the Unforgivable: Healing from a Long-Ago Affair"

A reader seeks advice from Amy Dickinson on how to forgive themselves after having an affair that ended their marriage. Despite their ex forgiving them, the reader struggles with self-forgiveness and feels like a hypocrite when discussing infidelity with friends. Amy advises the reader to consider how holding onto guilt serves them and the world, and emphasizes that forgiving oneself does not mean condoning the actions. She encourages the reader to acknowledge their mistake, learn from it, and move forward, as they have not repeated the behavior in the past 20 years.