perhaps it is necessary to forget in order to continue living
How horrible, I think I do this too. I have huge holes in my memories as a child. But some of what I do remember are the worst tragedies and betrayals. I'm not convinced that forgetting what allows us to live on, but rather a mis-remembering.
I think, for instance, no woman would go through labor a second time if she could accurately remember what the previous time felt like. She remembers it all clearly, but the baby overshadows all that.