My Life. My Struggle. My Healing.

June 17th, 2026

Recently, I found a podcast called We Need to Talk, and it has changed me. It has changed everything.

I thought I was healing, but it opened my eyes to the reality that life is not as simple as we often think it is. The enemy roams the earth, looking for ways to keep us trapped. Trauma can become one of those traps—a weapon used to keep us weak, wounded, and tormented by our own pain.

If you have the time, put on your headphones and listen to this podcast. Last night at the gym, I listened to an episode featuring Nelson Schuman. He explained that unforgiveness is one of the strongest footholds the enemy uses to keep us bound and distant from God. Unforgiveness keeps us chained to our pain, our triggers, our anger, and our wounds. Forgiveness, however, brings freedom. It allows us to release what has been holding us captive and move closer to the healing God desires for us.

So today, I choose to forgive.

Today, I am writing down the people I forgive. I may not share every detail with the world. Some wounds are deeply personal. But this act of forgiveness is not for them—it is for me. It is so I can let go of the things that have kept me hostage for far too long.

So here is my list:

I forgive the girl who molested me when I was around seven years old. That experience caused deep trauma. It affected my trust in others and shaped many of my relationships throughout my life.

I forgive my brothers for the cruel words that made me feel unworthy, ugly, or not good enough.

I forgive my mom and dad for the times I needed affection but received criticism instead. For the moments I needed comfort and understanding, but only felt hurt.

I forgive my childhood best friend who often made me feel left out—as if I was the outsider whenever other friends were around.

I forgive my first boyfriend, who used my friend’s death to hurt me. After convincing me for a year to have sex, he walked away. He left me feeling worthless and unworthy of anyone to stay.

I forgive the boy in high school who told me nobody should be my friend because so many people in my life had passed away. He made me feel cursed.

I forgive the boyfriend I had as a young adult who physically and emotionally abused me. The one who pushed me around, called me names, cheated on me, and hurt me so deeply that I still carry both emotional and physical scars.

I forgive my first husband for the lies, the affairs, the addictions, and all the hurt that came from our marriage. The damage reached places in my heart that I didn’t even realize existed. It left me questioning my worth, struggling to trust, and afraid to fully open my heart to others. 

I forgive the man who became angry when I simply asked for more care. Instead of hearing my heart, he walked away. That moment left me feeling unseen, unimportant, and as though my desire for love and consideration was a burden. 

I forgive my estranged husband for the emotional wounds, the unfaithfulness, and the hurt that came from our relationship. The pain left me questioning my worth and struggling with feelings of being unloved, undeserving, and not enough. It affected the way I saw myself and the way I believed others saw me. 

But most importantly, I forgive myself.

I forgive myself for the reactions I had because of the pain I was carrying. I forgive myself for the times trauma, fear, and hurt influenced my choices and emotions. I forgive myself for blaming myself for things that were never my fault. I forgive myself for staying too long and carrying burdens that did not belong to me. I forgive myself for every time I believed the lies spoken over me instead of believing what God says about me.

Today, I lay all of this pain at the feet of Jesus.

I surrender the hurt, the anger, the grief, the bitterness, and the trauma. I place it all in His hands and ask Him to heal me, restore me, and change my heart. I ask Him to remove anything in me that is not from Him and teach me how to live in freedom.

I do not want my trauma to define how I love, how I trust, or how I live anymore.

Today, I choose forgiveness.

Today, I choose freedom.

I hope you can learn to forgive the people who hurt you in your life as well.

Love always,

Kelsey