I am deeply sorry for lying. I still carry some hurt from the betrayals, even though, intellectually I know we were different people at that time. And, even though you apologized and I forgave you, there is still hurt in my heart, there is fear. You were the only person I really ever trusted, the only one to whom I told secrets, who knew the most vulnerable part of my being. I have learned patterns of protection (anger, defensiveness, judgement, contempt) for my heart, like an army of soldiers ready to fire and keep any suspected danger at bay. And, fire they do....I'm so sorry for the hurtful words and actions that crushed you at the core. I have never felt so much anger for so long. It would have been incredibly helpful if you could have said the things and done the things I needed you to say or do, when I needed you to. And, to have set and respected appropriate boundaries. But, I couldn't be honest with you, or we with each other at the time. I know once you really realized the impact of your actions (abandoning me and risking the well-being of our families), you were so deeply ashamed and pained. But, by then I had started to get in touch with my anger, and then I begin to feed it, to indulge it. Especially, when it didn't seem like the appropriate boundaries had been set with the AP to protect our relationship. I have never felt so much rage. I had worked through the childhood trauma and released limiting beliefs, but I had repressed so much anger at myself and my parents that your betrayal with a family friend and then continuing to breach boundaries, just pushed that anger into rage. I made you pay with painful heart-breaking words...and I am so sorry. You didn't deserve that. We were both traumatized by the betrayal. We both contributed to the conditions that arose for the betrayal. I am sorry for the years of not being that best friend that I promised to be. I'm sorry for not begin able to trust you again, even though I said I did. I am so sorry for perpetuating the same story of hurt and anger, even when we had untangled so many painful knots and our relationship had grown tender and sweet. I am so sorry that I have had difficulty in forgiving her, which has kept the army around my heart on guard. Like us, she is just a human with causes and conditions that led to the betrayal. I deeply apologize to my own vulnerable self for being hard on myself for not being able to let go of my anger. I wish the AP, to whom I had opened my home and heart, could have reached out to reconcile...to say I'm sorry for causing so much pain and heartache, but she didn't and that hurt so so much. I didn't realize how hard whole-hearted forgiveness could be without reconciliation. But, I am ready with my whole heart to forgive her, even without it. I let go of the fear that boundaries will not be respected. I let go of my anger and ill will. I let go of the ego's insecurities and need for righteousness. I relieve the army of its duties. I give myself permission drop this burden that closes my heart. I forgive myself for holding on to it for so long. I am free to move forward with my whole tender loving heart. May all beings be well, happy, and peaceful.

I apologize to myself when in a moment of crisis I did not give myself the option of time to think but instead made a rash decision that hurt everyone including myself.

Asking forgiveness of the world

I apologize to my brother for all the resentment I hold toward him because he did not assist me with the soul crushing care of my 92 year old mom in her journey with dementia.I am sorry that I am not better able to release my bitterness at losing so much of myself to this task.

I am sorry I have not achieved forgiveness sufficient to allow me to show up for our relationship, Mom. I understand your personality disorders, and I can forgive you for your shortcomings in mothering. But, as hard as I've been trying for these last 7 years, I cannot, as much as I truly do want to, seem to forgive you for your last rounds of betrayal that traumatized me so severely and destroyed my relationships with my only immediate family who remain on this earth. I sincerely do want to be in active relationship with you, because you may not be of this earth for very much longer. I'm sorry I cannot find the forgiveness our relationship needs in order to begin to heal; I'm sorry I cannot find it in myself to convince myself that I would be safe to interact with you. I wish you health and comfort. Your only remaining daughter.

I am sorry I stole your husband from you. You left the door open for me to come in by living apart from him for 10 years and by your dependence on alcohol. Now he is ill and at the end of life, I can tell you this. He always loved you and loves you still. More than me, I hate to admit that myself and certainly not to you. Please forgive me.

sending Foregiveness. And thank you Stephen, Ondrea, and Ram for your help.

I forgive myself for "putting my dog to sleep" while he was a healthy animal. I forgive those friends who supported my decision. I cannot recall why the dog's behavior seemed to merit this drastic and selfish solution. He loved me and trusted me and I let him down. I am so sorry. I am grateful for the years we had together and will remember him with deep love forever.

I apologize to my yoni and my inner child. When I was 17 I had a surgery called a labiaplasty to permanently alter my labia because I was so uncomfortable with how my body looked. I felt this was the only way to become acceptable, sexually active and ultimately loveable. I have grown so much from that sad isolated child and I apologize for sometimes hating her and the decision she made (that I would not make now). I apologize for abandoning my yoni. Cutting her and subsequently making her endure sexual situations she did not enjoy. I am so so sorry. I am still learning to love you, some days it is hard to see past the shame of the decisions I have made and some days I feel warm with hope. I apologize to my most holy tender part of myself becoming another data point in the statistics that show the rapidly rising popularity of this surgery. I am so deeply sorry to any woman younger than me that felt that statistic legitimized her decision to have the surgery. I apologize for keeping this part of my story a secret for too long and thus letting the shame consume me. I have been shown the incredible healing benefits of entrusting this story to kind-hearted people. And that is what I am doing now - thank you to whoever witnesses this, I love you

I apologize to myself for thinking it was all my fault when I was just too little to register that I was being abused. I know that I didn't cause this abuse and yet I have carried the shame with me like my dirty little secret. I am so sorry to myself for turning the tables and objectifying the men in my life. In penance I have not had a lover in over 20 years. But really it has been my great joy to fall in love with myself without the overly of the abuse - the tension, the guilt the shame. I apologize for thinking that no one will know if I keep this inside and feel getting it out is much healthier for me at this point. No one has rejected me on this subject so in some ways I feel better about saying the truth: I am frightened and aroused when I am frightened...so I just don't get aroused. If and when I do I know it's because I am frightened. after 70 years you would think this wouldn't be an issue but I am still a work in progress around this issue. I am sorry that I doubt myself and my self worth. I go on any way and things usually turn out great! I'm sorry wasting so much time hiding away with self criticism and doubt. I am forging ahead non the less. Never too late. This sorry small voice is out of the inside of my thoughts and head. I am glad. Better now than have to face this when I have not ability to do something about it.

I suppose the thing I now regret most is not owning my part enough; not relieving you of the blame as soon as I could. I'm sorry if I scared, shamed or devalued you as a person or a professional. I'm confused, but I regret my reactions, my projected anger and being a victim and making you the persecutor. Sometimes, I don't want to talk to me. Maybe in heaven, I would be free from hurting you and the bruises I made to our relationship will be no more. I'm sorry. I hope that it is long forgotten and that your life is as meaningful as you are to me. May you be free and happy always.

I send my love and deep apology to the baby I shook when I was a brand new nurse graduate working in a stifling hot public health Indian hospital. All the babies were on isolation so I had to wear a gown and mask as well. One night a baby (maybe 6 months old) would not stop crying and I was at my wit's end. I picked it up and shook it, instead of loving it. This was before we knew about shaken baby syndrome and I have regretted my action all my life. I'm 78 now and still vividly recall that frustrating night, hoping that child was not damaged by my action. I never worked in pediatrics again and never forgave myself.

i apologize for being so absorbed in my own pain for so long when the ex left that i could not sense or perceive what my young sons were enduring and how much they needed me to see and to listen to them in their sadness and fear when their father abandoned us, instead of them comforting me so much. years later, they are both still in so much pain, but they have so much love and goodness in them, that i think they have forgiven me - though i can't quite forgive myself and wish i could do a do-over for these two gentle and loving souls, bring back the smiles into their eyes. thank you for allowing me this gift.

I apologize; to my good tender heart for the thoughts that continually challenge it's confidence and trust within and without. I apologize to the ones who I love who I doubt because Im afraid and because I have been so hurt in my life and I apologize to life for not trusting and now pray to trust and have faith and be released from deceptive thoughts. Thank you for listening.

I am not sure where to begin. I apologize to my three children for not being the dad they deserved and I wasn't even aware if it. No excuses but I did not know what a family was supposed to be. I never had long talks with my either parent nor do I remember even talking with my siblings the closest memory I have is the four of us huddled in a bed while our parent were fighting which could get physical. I am 73 now and realize what I missed. I told my daughter that I was my dad except no alcohol. I am sorry my mom had to protect herself so much she had little time for us. This is just the beginning and I am afraid I don't know how to apologize very well.

I apologize to those persons who were in my care many years ago. Some are living and some are dead now. I confess that I was under the influence of drugs while caring for you. I have held this secret fior many years and it is time to let go and let God heal my shame. I ask for forgiveness for the pain I may have caused you. I do not want to carry this guilt to my grave. I am so very sorry for my lack of judgement, my carelessness and irresponsibility so very long ago. I struggle to be at peace. These are my thoughts today. I thank the ONE who led me to this treasure box and I thank the Levine’s for this project.

I am in a new phase of grieving you and I am reading the journal entries of your love for me. I am reading cards and love letters I sent you so long ago. I am so deeply sorry that you died before I could affirm you were right, yes we DID have something special. I apologize and regret that you died without us really healing. I apologize that you chose to die alone rather than feeling me withholding and criticizing you until the end. I apologize I wasn’t my best self with you and was unloving and saw you as withholding rather than just plain scared. I said I love you when I left that last night but you had to feel it wasn’t from my heart. I’m sorry and now it’s too late to honor what we had, who you are and from my heart let you know I truly love you.

I aplogize to my son for not being the parent you needed. For not making the consequences fit the choices you made. I apologize to you my son my love for bailing you out when you should have done the work yourself. I'm sorry I didnt love you enough to trust you. I aplogize to myself and my other children for being too distant to connect. I aplogize to my family and especially my son for not recognizing and admitting that alcohol became your crutch because you never felt good enough. And that alcohol played into our family at a much more dangerous level than I could admit.

I apologize to myself for being ashamed of sharing my feelings and being afraid that I will push you away. I apologize for self doubt and lack of self love, for listening to and being bothered by the stories my mind is telling me. I apologize for not trusting in my heart and yours and that my past wounds and abandonments are tainting this very different situation. I really, really apologize if I bothered you with my emotions at a difficult time, please forgive me as I pray to forgive myself

when we touch another’s pain,with fear,that’s pity,but when we touch,another pain,with love,that’s compassion. Treasure Ourselves O