I sometimes wonder how my life would have been with a happy, confident, and kind dad. But parenting is a skill, and not everyone is equally good at it.

Despite all the work I’ve done, I wonder whether I am truly free. I am not sure what that feels like.

I am glad you moved ahead. Yes, it’s a long path to healing and forgiveness. But if we keep reminding ourselves and each other that we’re here to be healed, we’re heading in the right direction.

Thank you so much, Nanette, for your warmhearted response and for sharing a bit of your story! I’ll head over to your other poem right now.