Holy misogyny. A retelling of the Adam and Eve story. Come on, there is no such thing as seduction. People have choices to make, and if he cheats once, he'll cheat again.

Flowers and promises will not salve a broken vow; actions will.

As long as we see women as seductresses, there can be no real discussion of character. Indecent kiss. You have been watching too many soap operas. Tony made several decisions here. Tracy only had the choice to react to Tony's decisions.

Tracy is being asked to be a bigger person than Tony is. If that is the moral lesson, then ok, but...

In your piece "Forgive and Forget," accepting that this folksy phrase is simplistic does not make it accurate or worth quoting because “Forgetting doesn’t mean we don’t remember an incident” is a contradiction in itself.
Forgive and "will bear no future resentment (animosity, bitterness, rancor)" or other word that guarantees no future malice or repercussions would be the statement that carries with it higher character.
A negative emotional event is tied to emotion that could resurface, renewing the conflict.

Wow, Michael! This a powerful commentary on forgiveness; especially, at this time of year.

My mother and I were not close. I was the middle child of seven; and my sister (Tony) and I are the only girls in the bunch. I felt our mother loved Tony more than she loved all the rest of us. My sister was so talented and intellectually gifted, I went into sports to avoid hearing teachers say, 'you're nothing like your sister!', as my two older brothers had heard most of their academic lives.

Years after I'd grown & moved away from home, I awakened one morning with the compulsion (for lack of a better word) to go to see my mother. I called my job and told them I'd be out of town for a few days; and I drove (straight through) from California to the East Coast. Mama and I stayed up all night talking. Near the end of our conversation, I forgave her for not giving me as much attention as I felt I needed; and she forgave me for all the disappointment and aggravation I'd caused her through the years. As soon as I woke up from all the hours of driving and the long conversation, I thanked Mama, and drove back to California. Six months later (3 days from my graduation from AF Basic Training), Mama passed away. Although the news was shocking, I was at peace because we'd been blessed to forgive one another.

Forgiving doesn't mean you have to forget. However, true forgiveness takes the pain out of the memory and you don't feel you have to keep reminding the person what they did to you.

"Forgive and forget" does not mean you forget the incident occurred - only the feelings of betrayal and pain associated with it. You have a choice in life - to forgive or not forgive. To say you forgive when you do not truly do so is unethical, immoral and self-destructive. First, be honest with yourself: if you do not truly forgive a person, don't try to pretend you do. Second, if you truly do forgive, you will still have residual feelings in the beginning that you will have to work through. This is normal and does not indicate you have not forgiven – just that it takes time to heal wounds. Third, if it happens again, you’d be a fool to forgive again. Take your lesson and leave the relationship. You should never let a mate confuse your forgiveness with stupidity.

I can think of no better demonstration of what true forgiveness means than the late Pope John Paul II meeting (and forgiving) his would-be assassin. Forgiveness is at the heart of the Christian faith. Having seen so few examples of true forgiveness in my life, this one act constantly reminds me to "forgive those who trespass against me."