Healing isn't Forgiveness

This short segment between Mayu and Saki captures the emotions I love outside of mainstream television wrestling...

Saki, who betrayed Saki years ago (honestly, justifiably, but that's another story), grabs the mic to congratulate Mayu (it's the 14th Anniversary of Stardom and Mayu is of course, Stardom's ace) while kinda brattily pointing out that she doesn't REGRET IT AT ALL! Her life is GREAT!

Even after all the time that has pass, even now that Saki has mellowed out, Mayu has always held a vindictive grudge. This is Saki's little way to needle her back, since her matches with Mayu are usually a struggle.

But Mayu drops the grudge... She remembers going to out to eat with Saki the night before getting betrayed... and while they can't go back to how things were, she was glad she could wrestle with Saki on Stardom's 14th Anniversary. In fact, crowd, Saki has been here almost as long as I have, please cheer for her!

Saki is in tears. The hate that Mayu has had for her has melted. She says, with both relief and melancholy, that she knows they can't go back to how things were... but they can at least have a good fair match together.

Mayu and Saki shake. Saki immediately turns the handshake into a pin attempt.

What I love here is that healing happened, but their history wasn't wiped clean. The the hate is gone, but the rivalry is still there. Their relationship isn't, and likely never will be the same. They still have the scars, but the scars don't hurt when they look at them. Enough time has passed and they've moved on. In fact, enough time has passed that they'd rather both remember the good times. They might not be friends, by Mayu can wrestle her without stomping Saki into the ground like she hates her guts. She can even respect her.

This is a non-binary relationship. It's not 'love or hate', 'face or heel', 'enemy or friend'. It's an Ex you used to not be able to be in the same room with. But you've both healed. You can go to the same parties. Sometimes you can even have a pleasant chat. There is always going to be some distance, but that's okay. It's better than when the wounds were raw, and bleeding. You can't ever fully forgive what you've done to each other, but you can still heal and move past it.