Rebuilding relationships after estrangement
How do you do it? Life goes on and then you're meant to let them back in? It feels scary and dangerous.
Is it even the right thing to do? I mean we let them go for a reason, right?
Sometimes letting people back in can create changes sometimes you just take a leap of faith
I am still getting used to this community environment, so if this is not helpful, please disregard. One of my old professors used to say, reconciliation, not restoration. If you were estranged, there was a reason behind it. There was something that made you clash. In my experience of life, I have rarely seen it where it was just one person in the relationship that contained all the problems, it is usually, something that is a strike point with both parties. If you guys have worked through whatever it is, then there is no reason to remain estranged, if things have changed, if you have changed, and you have worked toward true reconciliation (that is forgiveness, but also working on bettering yourself and your relationship) then maybe it is time to come back together and move on. However, the end of the estrangement is not a restoration, things should be different, reconciliation should be a part of this. Restoration without change will bring back the same problem once again. If the estrangement ends and it feels like just restoration I would be thinking about counselling if you aren't doing that already. In fact, I have seen a lot of good come out of counselling in the past, it might be a route to do regardless.
@pvroom
"Meant to let them back in"? The only thing you are meant to do is what you feel is right for you. You are not obligated to rebuild an estranged relationship if you don't wish to. It's your choice.