In 2021, Pope Francis established the celebration of the World Day for Grandparents and Elderly, which is the fourth Sunday of July. In 2025, we decided to do something special in preparation for that, and to honor our grandparents along the way.

We asked Adult Children of Divorce or Separation to help us create a series of collaborative blog posts, poems, and/or artwork  which showcase the role their grandparents played in their lives, and how they have aided in the healing journey as children of divorce grow into adulthood. We want to ennoble them with the important role they play in their grandchildren's lives. 

...my version of “forgiveness” was simple: never let anyone get close enough to hurt me. But the Lord broke through my defenses and gradually brought me back to Him through a reversion to the Catholic faith. ... When I first attended the Life-Giving Wounds retreat, my heart overflowed with awe and gratitude as I heard the truth about God’s intention for the love between mother, father, and child.

Keep in mind that forgiveness is not the same as reconciliation (which takes two people), but sometimes must be offered unilaterally. It is a difficult process, but it is also freeing. Forgiveness doesn’t mean forgetting, condoning, or approving the harm done, and it goes hand and hand with setting healthy boundaries. Seeking out therapy and empathizing with the other person’s own struggles helps.