The Weight of Regret and the Hope of Healing

Published on October 17, 2025 at 2:18 PM

Content Contributor: Wendy Busse-Coleman ("Grammy")

"Make mistakes but don't regret them. Learn from them. Because regrets are the hardest thing to carry when you get older."

I heard this quote recently on social media, and it struck a chord deep within me. It felt like someone had reached into my heart and named the ache I've been carrying.

Regret is a heavy companion. It doesn't just sit quietly in the background, it whispers in the quiet moments, shows up in memories, and sometimes, it keeps you from moving forward. I'm living through one right now, and it's one of the hardest seasons I've faced.

 

Six Months Ago

Six months ago, a miscommunication happened between my son and me while were in Florida for his golf tournament. It wasn't intentional, and it wasn't malicious, but it was misunderstood. And the fallout has been heartbreaking. Since then, I've not been invited to visit their home in California. That means I haven't seen my 5-year-old granddaughter in person for a half a year. 

 

Before this, I used to visit a lot—about every four months. I started doing that back in 2021 when she was just 10 months old. Seeing her grow up, being part of her life, and sharing those small, everyday moments brought me so much joy.

Now, it feels like that connection is far away, and the quiet is hard to take.

It Loops Endlessly

I've replayed that moment in Florida over and over. I've asked myself what I could have said differently, how I could have explained better, how I could have prevented the misunderstanding. That's what regret does, it loops endlessly, offering no resolution, just more questions. 

That quote got me thinking—mistakes are just a part of life, you know? Regret doesn’t have to be where the story ends. It can actually teach you stuff instead of holding you back. 

 

So, I'm trying to shift. I'm trying to learn from this pain, to grow from it, and to hold onto hope. Hope that healing is possible. Hope that forgiveness can find its way in. Hope that my granddaughter will know how deeply she is loved even from afar. 

If you're reading this and carrying your own regret, I want you to know, you're not alone. It's okay to feel the wright, but don't let it define you. Let it teach you. Let it soften you.

Let it guide you toward healing.


And if you're in a place to offer forgiveness to someone who made a mistake, I hope you'll consider it. Because sometimes, the hardest thing to carry isn't the mistake, it's the silence that follows.

Add comment

Comments

There are no comments yet.