Key points

Don't ignore regrets; take ownership of them instead.

Express genuine empathy when conveying regrets.

Accept that not all relationships can be repaired.

A client once told me about the last conversation she had with her father before he passed away. For years, they had tiptoed around an argument that had driven a wedge between them. On a quiet afternoon, sitting together by the window, her father took her hand and said, “I’m sorry for the way I handled things. I wish I had done better.” She told me that those few words—simple, direct, and heartfelt—changed the way she remembered him. The years of distance seemed to soften in that moment, replaced by a deep sense of peace.

As we move through life, relationships inevitably accumulate moments of misunderstandings, hurt, and mi

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