You know that old quote “Sticks and stones may hurt my bones but words will never hurt me”. Well someone who was never injured by words must have written this. Words can hurt severely, for much longer than any physical injury can ever hurt.
With that said, we must realise that those words were said by very injured people, themselves probably hurt by another. It doesn’t ever mitigate what you heard said, nor does it excuse that person’s actions. But in realising that we are more than the words that were said we rise above our perpetrators. We see them for what they really are, hurt children, yep even the adults who hurt you were in reality just hurt little kids inside.
Taking time to heal from those wounds is hard and a long process, but once we can forgive we are so much stronger than they will ever be. Remember forgiveness just involves you not anyone else.