Show Notes
What if the thing you've been told will set you free is actually keeping you stuck? What if forgiveness isn't even the goal? In this episode of Life Happens with Barb & Michelle, our hosts challenge everything we've been taught about forgiveness. Not the textbook version we learned as kids, but the real, messy, evolving kind that shows up after serious trauma, toxic relationships, and years of bypassed emotions. This is a raw conversation about what happens when you stop forcing yourself to forgive and start focusing on what you actually feel. 💬 Barb opens up about replacing forgiveness with acceptance after her divorce, her history of sexual abuse, and why at 69 years old she's done pressuring herself to forgive people who caused real harm. 💬 Michelle gets vulnerable about being a self-described "sucker" who forgave a major trauma too quickly because the person said the right words, and how she's learning to sit with her own feelings before letting anyone else influence her process. ✨ In This Episode, We Discuss: Why Barb swapped the word "forgiveness" for "acceptance" and how that shift changed everything The danger of forgiving too quickly and bypassing the emotions that actually need to be felt Michelle's experience of forgiving a severe trauma as a kid because the person said all the right things, only to realize decades later she'd never actually processed it How other people's apologies and influence can cloud what you truly feel and need Why taking accountability doesn't mean someone gets a pass or gets let back in The connection between premature forgiveness and the inability to set boundaries later in life Nedra Glover Tawwab's quote on forgiveness and releasing the power harm has over you
"I don't wanna wait that long. And also, is that really even the goal?" If you've ever felt the pressure to forgive before you were ready, or wondered if forgiveness is even what you need right now, this episode is going to feel like permission to breathe. Barb and Michelle aren't here to tell you what to do. They're here to sit with you in the mess and remind you that healing doesn't have a deadline. Come listen. 📘 Go Deeper with Dear Friend If this episode on Forgiveness and Acceptance resonated with you, you may also love Michelle’s USA TODAY bestselling book, Dear Friend, a daily reflection companion designed to help you reconnect with your inner voice, honor your needs, and find clarity and strength one day at a time. Because resilience doesn’t begin with changing your circumstances. It begins with strengthening your relationship with yourself. And that may be the most important relationship you’ll ever build.
👉 Order your copy: https://amzn.to/3Us9eqg 🎧 Listen to the audiobook and step into a year that truly loves you back: https://amzn.to/459zSdt Episode Breakdown ⬇️ 0:00 – Intro / Teaser clip 0:58 – Welcome & introducing the forgiveness topic 7:18 – Barb shares where she is today with forgiveness (2026) 8:04 – Barb opens up about childhood sexual abuse 10:15 – Is forgiveness even the goal anymore? 18:57 – Why we put the onus on the person who was harmed 23:24 – Should you remove the other person from the equation? 24:44 – The danger of being easily swayed by an apology 25:18 – How being a "sucker" affects your healing process 41:01 – Walking through what actually works: staying in your own essence 46:21 – Closing thoughts: accountability ≠ forgiveness 49:55 – Outro & Nedra Tawwab quote on releasing forgiveness
💬 We’d love to hear from you! What insight or moment resonated most with you in this episode? Share in the comments—we truly read every one. 📅 Subscribe & Join Us Next Tuesday for another heartfelt episode of Life Happens with Barb and Michelle! 💕 🎙️ Hosted by: https://www.instagram.com/peaceful_barb/ https://www.instagram.com/michellemaros/
Join our community ⬇️ YouTube: www.youtube.com/@LifeHappensThePodcast Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/lifehappensthepodcast/ Substack: https://lifehappensthepodcast.subst
More from Life Happens with Barb & Michelle
“It’s not about you needing to be fixed. It’s about you needing to understand that you already are worthy.” - Barb Self-love, toxic relationships, and feeling overwhelmed: these are just a few of the topics in this week’s episode of Life Happens with Barb and Michelle, where the mother-daughter duo are back with one of their favorite formats, a Q&A from their community. Barb shares how she gets through difficult family gatherings, from volunteering for the grocery run to taking the grandkids out for ice cream. Michelle reflects on Scott Peck’s line that life is difficult, and how once you accept that, it can take the edge off when someone rubs you the wrong way. They then get into how to build self-love and how to keep it even when it feels like life is knocking you down.
"I'm okay with people having their opinions … but I'm not okay with them saying it's the only way." – Barb
"People are walking around asking, 'Is it okay if I'm just me?'" – Cory Allen
In today’s episode of Life Happens with Barb and Michelle, Barb and Michelle are joined by writer, speaker, and advocate Libby Ward, author of Honest Motherhood: On Losing My Mind and Finding Myself. In a deeply moving and vulnerable conversation, we talk about the realities of modern motherhood, including the mental load, overwhelm, the pressure to do it all, and what it takes to let go of perfection. Together, Libby, Barb, and Michelle explore the hidden roots of rage, overstimulation, and people-pleasing, unpacking how childhood trauma and hypervigilance make setting simple boundaries feel like a matter of life or death. Libby shares her candid "Granola Bar" story, a pivotal moment of maternal rage that forces her to confront her limits and explains why genuine repair and self-compassion are the true keys to breaking generational cycles. From validating our children's experiences to unlearning the myth of the "perfect mother," this episode offers an honest, hopeful blueprint for reconnecting with your authentic self.
On this week’s episode of Life Happens with Barb and Michelle, Barb and Michelle are joined by Kelly Rizzo, host of the podcast Comfort Food and widow of beloved comedian Bob Saget. In this vulnerable conversation about grief and loss, Kelly shares the deep love she had for Bob, the heartbreak that followed his death in 2022, and how she continues to manage her relationship with grief and the trauma she experienced processing such a loss in the public eye. Kelly also shares her personal experience of finding love again after loss, how she knew she was ready to date again, and also talks of her personal experience of choosing to live child-free. We felt such a beautiful connection with Kelly in this episode and we hope you love it as much as we do! Episode Highlights: Grief after sudden loss while grieving in the public eye The trauma of grief, PTSD, and the blessing of sharing your story to help others Finding love again and the importance of not settling in relationships Choosing a child-free life and breaking free from societal expectations