A client sent me a message recently, and it touched my heart. She has gone through my forgiveness process several times over the years, working through resentment and hurt with different people in her life.

One of the most challenging forgiveness journeys she ever took was with her mother.

Many years ago, she committed to the week-long forgiveness process. It was not easy, but it completely transformed her relationship with her mom and changed the course of her life.

This is what she recently shared with me:

"At the LRT when you were talking about forgiveness letters, and that you don't need to address it, I got so tickled remembering the time I mailed my completion letter at the Hwy 100 Kroger drop box. The mailman was there, and I handed him the envelope. I didn't have a pen, so written on the front in lipstick was: 'To: Mom c/o Heaven.' He looked at it, looked back at me, shrugged, and tossed it in the truck. It was a humorous, lighthearted end to an extremely emotional letter. By the way, I still have that 12-year-old letter. I can never tell you enough — you REALLY did change the trajectory of my life, and I'm forever grateful to you and all you've shared with me."

Today is Father's Day, and this message got me thinking.

Are you still carrying it?

Are you carrying hurt, disappointment, resentment, or sadness about something your father did — or did not do — years ago?

How might those old feelings still be affecting your life today? Do they show up in your relationships? Your self-worth? Your ability to trust? Are they being unknowingly passed down to the next generation?

Many of us have good reasons for our anger. We may even feel entitled to it. Yet holding onto resentment often hurts us far more than the person we are holding it against.

What forgiveness really means

Forgiveness does not mean saying what happened was okay. It does not mean forgetting. It does not mean excusing harmful behavior.

Forgiveness means freeing yourself from carrying the weight of the past. It means choosing peace over suffering. It means being willing to see your story through a new lens.

• Forgiveness is freedom.
• Forgiveness is letting go.
• Forgiveness improves relationships.
• Forgiveness allows the past to stay in the past.
• Forgiveness is choosing peace and happiness for yourself.

My own story

My father and I had our struggles when I was young, and there were things I needed to forgive. As I did that work, our relationship softened and deepened in ways I never expected.

Today my dad has passed on, but because of forgiveness, I remember him with much more love, compassion, and gratitude. And that feels so much better than carrying old pain.

The hardest part is often simply saying yes. Your willingness — no matter how small — can become the beginning of profound change.

Everyone wins when forgiveness happens. You deserve peace.

With love and light,
Juliana 💛