Forgiving Our Mothers: They Were Just Girls Trying to Survive
Forgiveness does not mean pretending the hurt didn't happen, and it doesn't mean you have to place yourself back in harm's way.
Some boundaries are necessary, and protecting your peace is not a betrayal. But forgiveness can mean seeing your mother as a whole person, a girl who was shaped by a world that resented her, disrespected her, and failed to protect her. It can mean understanding that much of what she did was survival, not malice. When you see her that clearly, the anger often loosens its grip, and what's left is room for grief, compassion, and your own healing.
So take a moment. Think about the girl your mother was before she was ever your mother, the dreams she may have buried, and the fear she may have carried quietly for decades. You don't have to excuse everything to release the weight of it. The cycle breaks with us, not because our mothers failed, but because they survived long enough to give us the chance to do better. That, in itself, is something worth honoring.
BLOG | SEPTEMBER 2026
Comments