Over the past year, I have dedicated much of my ministry work to parents. I have not sought to provide guidance on how to parent but rather to bring comfort for the many distressing emotions parents experience. One of the more challenging emotions parents experience is regret.
When parents struggle with regret, we review and rehearse the choices we made. When we have played a role in a consequential matter with our kids, we review and rehearse what we did. This is especially the case when we see an unwanted outcome in our children’s lives, or there is now an undesired dynamic in our relationship with them.
One way to capture the experience is with a loop. The thoughts that lead to upset and distress loop around and around.
When we remember something we could have done but didn’t, we might struggle with self-loathing or self-blame. When we see that we missed an opportunity to have a desirable impact, we have harsh feelings toward ourselves.
So the question becomes, Is there any escape from this loop? Not easily. It’s hard to find an exit path because the regrets concern our children. No one is more important to us. It’s
To continue...read the full-length post originally published on this site.
