The forgiveness work · Transcript
The Letters — Mother & Father
The letter-writing audio · Workshop 4
The guided letter-writing that follows the meditation — two letters, and the sentence that begins “I release you.”
Recording note This is the script for the audio we’ll record — read aloud, slowly, then slower again. [pause] is 3–5 seconds, [long pause] 10–20 seconds, [silence] 45–60 seconds. A single soft instrumental bed, or none.
Get comfortable in your chair. Paper on your lap, or the table beside you. [pause] You're not going to write yet. First we're just going to sit with some questions. Eyes closed, if that's available to you. [long pause]
Tonight we're going to do some pruning. Not of your habits. Of the oldest branches in the garden — the ones that go all the way back. [pause] For most of us, that means two people. [pause] The woman who raised you, or didn't. [pause] The man who raised you, or didn't. [long pause]
Before anything else, hear this clearly: this is not an exercise in blame. Your parents had parents. Their soil had rocks in it too — most of which you'll never know about. Tonight isn't about the verdict. It's about the weight. You've been carrying things that have their names on them, and some of those things were never yours to carry. [long pause]
Think of your mother. [pause] Whatever that word brings — warmth, ache, anger, absence, all of it at once. Let it come. [long pause] What did you need from her that you received? [long pause] What did you need from her that never came? [long pause] What have you never said to her — because it was too tender, or too late, or because she'd never hear it? [long pause]
— silence —
Now your father. [pause] Same questions. Take them one at a time. [pause] What did you need from him that you received? [long pause] What did you need that never came? [long pause] What would you say to him if you knew it couldn't wound either of you? [long pause]
— silence —
Now pick up the pen. [pause] You're going to write two letters, one at a time. Start with whichever parent is louder in you tonight. [pause] Dear Mom. Or Dear Dad. And then the truth, in your own hand. What you're grateful for. What hurt. What you needed. What you're setting down. [pause] Nobody will read this. Not us, not them. These letters are yours — some guests mail them, most burn them tomorrow at the fire, some keep them for years. All of those are right. [pause]
Write until you're done, not until it's pretty. If you cry, keep the pen moving if you can. If you need to stop, stop and breathe and come back. There's no clock on this. [pause] When you finish the first letter, seal it in the envelope and write their name on it. Then rest a minute. Then start the second. [long pause]
One more thing before the music takes over. [pause] Somewhere in one of these letters, see if you can write a sentence that starts with these three words: I release you. [pause] Not I excuse you. Not it didn't matter. Just — I release you. Forgiveness is not saying it was okay. It's deciding it no longer gets to run the garden. [long pause]
Write. Take all the time you need. We're right here.
Santerra · Guided-audio transcript · Internal — not for guest distribution