Chapter 18 - Boundaries and Healing
Six months after the trial, Arthur Carter sent Naomi a handwritten letter.
There were no demands in it. No financial requests. No excuses for Mark.
Arthur wrote about how he and Elaine were attending family counseling and working through their decades of co-dependency and enabling behavior. He expressed deep shame for how they had treated her and stated that he understood if she never wanted to see them again.
"You were the best thing that ever happened to us, Naomi," Arthur wrote in closing. "And we treated you like an enemy because we were too weak to face the truth. You owe us nothing. We just pray that you are happy."
Naomi read the letter sitting in her sunroom.
She didn't cry tearful tears of grief anymore; she felt a quiet, profound sense of closure. She sat down at her desk and wrote back a short, dignified letter:
"Dear Dad and Mom,
I forgive you for your past choices, because holding onto bitterness only hurts me. However, forgiveness does not mean access. My life is peaceful now, and I intend to keep it that way. I am glad you are getting help. I wish you health and peace.
May you like
Naomi."
She mailed the letter, feeling entirely at peace with her decision. She had established her boundaries, not out of malice, but out of self-love. She had finally learned that you cannot heal in the same environment that made you sick.
