See: Genesis 32-33 (with specific emphasis on Genesis 33:1-11)
(note: I know this is a longer explanation than normal but should be helpful in understanding both the overall story of Genesis and the topic of forgiveness in the story of Jacob and Esau.)
A major purpose in writing of Genesis is to explain where the nation of Israel came from. The man Jacob is one of the most important people in answering that question. It is Jacob who, after going through discipline by God and learning from his sins, is renamed Israel by God Himself. Jacob had twelves sons from whom would come the twelve tribes of Israel, making up the nation of Israel.
Jacob was not ever deserving of this role as father of God's chosen nation. Genesis 25-32 give various examples of how underhanded and manipulative Jacob was. He was not a moral example to be followed often in his life. His immorality was often mostly directed at his older (well just a few minutes older, they were twins) brother Esau with whom he constantly competed.
Jacob tricked his brother out of his birthright (Esau as the older brother would have gotten the greater portion of their father's wealth when he died had he not given it over to Jacob) in a moment when Esau was weak and thought he would die. Then when it was time for their father to die he called to Esau asking him to cook him food and then he would be blessed by his father and inherit the promises given to him by God (that he would be the father of a nation that outnumbered the stars in the sky). When Jacob heard about this he impersonated his brother and tricked his father into giving him the blessing instead of Esau.
Fearing Esau would kill him Jacob ran away and they did not see each other for twenty years.
This brings us to Genesis 32-33 where we see Jacob do all he can to make peace with his brother and Esau forgiving Jacob for the wrong he had done.
From this story we look at the idea of forgiveness. If Esau can forgive his brother for all the wrong he had done to him, then we can also be people who forgive. Here are a few notes on living a life of forgiveness.
Forgiveness:
see: Genesis 33:1-1
1) has no limits
see: Matthew 18: 21-22
If Esau never forgave his brother people would have understood that. His brother did not deserve that forgiveness. In the same way we are called to unconditionally forgive all the time. No matter what people have done to us we are to be people who forgive.
2) Is complete
see: Psalm 103:12
Once we have forgiven someone they are completely forgiven for it. We are told that God has forgiven us of our sin and separated it from us as far as the east is from the west, which means we are completely forgiven of that sin and it is permanently removed from us. God does not remind us of our sin. So we cannot forgive someone and then remind them of that same sin later on. We don't hold things against people, we forgive and move on.
3) Is commanded in the Bible
see: Ephesians 4:32; Matthew 18:23-35; Colossians 3:13
Over an over again we are commanded to forgive others of the wrong they have done to us. We aren't given an option. We are to be people who forgive. When this commandment is given it is given with God as the ultimate example of someone who forgives.
4) Is modeled by Christ.
see: 1 John 1:9; Colossians 3:13; Ephesians 1:7
We are told to forgive just as Christ forgave us. We are able to forgive because Christ forgave us. He provides the example of the forgiving person. There is nothing in this world anyone could do to us that is worse than the sin we have committed against God. But because He loves us He forgave us and made a way for us to have a relationship with Him again through His death and resurrection. Through the work of the Holy Spirit we are being made more like Christ. One of Christ's great characteristics is unconditional forgiveness. Since He forgave us we need to forgive those who do wrong to us.
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