Healing doesn’t always come through reconciliation—it often begins within. Sometimes, the path to forgiveness isn’t about making peace with those who’ve hurt us, but about choosing to grow beyond the pain. Even when something precious is lost, we can plant new roots from what remains and begin again.

Grief, love, and forgiveness are deeply intertwined, and learning to carry all three is part of becoming whole.

Ryan’s story 

To Ryan, the rose pot on his windowsill wasn’t just a plant—it was a living tribute.

He had mixed his late mother’s ashes into the soil, and each May, the deep red blooms served as a poignant reminder of her love.

That delicate bond was destroyed the day his estranged father, Larry, accidentally knocked the pot to the ground.

Ryan hadn’t wanted Larry there.

Their relationship had never healed after his mother’s passing, fractured by grief and abandonment.

Larry’s unexpected visit—claiming he was ill—felt like yet another manipulation.

Now, the one tangible connection Ryan had to his mother was shattered and tossed in the trash.

Heartbroken, Ryan confronted him.

He poured out his grief—the significance of the rose, the ashes, and all the memories tied to them.

Larry was taken aback and remorseful, but the damage was already done. Ryan told him to leave.

In the years that followed, Ryan channeled his pain into a novel and slowly began to rebuild his life.

Though the original rose was lost, he used the soil he could salvage to grow new ones.

Each May, they bloomed in brilliant red.

When Larry d.ied unexpectedly, Ryan didn’t attend the funeral.

Instead, he wrote a letter—never sent, but deeply cathartic—acknowledging the hurt, the memories, and his gradual journey toward forgiveness.

As he stood by the window, watching the rain fall on the blooming roses, he whispered, “I’m working on it, Mom.”

And for the first time, he truly was.