Dear Reader,

Many of us try to take too much responsibility for the things that happen in life. It is not as if we are fully in control of much, but who among us hasn’t at one time or another castigated ourselves for what we “should have done?”

We act as best we can in a given situation, with the information we have and understand at the time. In retrospect, we might think we should have done or said something different, but at the time we didn’t know what we learned later.

Given this kind of thinking, victims too often blame themselves. “I should have” is one of the saddest cries we make. “I should have known.” “I should have done something else.” “I should have guessed.” The guilt is a heavy burden.

This kind of hindsight can cause terrific problems for us, especially if the consequences were grave. In this story, a man deals with survivor guilt, and a woman deals with guilt over being victimized by the man she once loved. This is the story of how they learn to forgive themselves and find their ultimate healing in love.

It’s also a bit of a thriller. Enjoy!

Hugs,

Rachel