September 11 2017

As we continue looking at holding on or letting go of guilt and blame, I think of a grief education and support group I facilitated a few years ago. At one meeting, a woman shared some regrets she had concerning her loved one’s death. After she spoke, another member told the group that she was struck by the first woman’s use of the word regret. Hearing “regret” reframed her experiences with her own husband’s death. Instead of saying, “I feel guilty…,” this second woman was now going to say, “I regret…”  That one word made all the difference for her. She let go of the guilt she had been feeling. There is a difference between guilt and regret. Perhaps you want to consider regret as well?