04/16/2026
A lot of people are told they have to forgive in order to heal.
But as I say in MAYBE YOU SHOULD TALK TO SOMEONE, “forced forgiveness” isn’t healing.
You can feel compassion for someone’s pain without absolving what they did.
And if you’re the one asking for forgiveness from someone else, remember that’s not their job.
The work for you is to find a way to have compassion for yourself while also holding yourself accountable (i.e., “What have I learned from this; have I offered a sincere apology or amends without the expectation of absolution; how will I do things differently next time?”).
Remember Rita’s story from my book—her desire for forgiveness from her adult children coupled with her inability to forgive herself?
If you struggle with forgiveness from either side of it, now might be a good time to read Maybe You Should Talk To Someone:https://bit.ly/40E59mJ