Julie Plagens is the author of Estranged: Finding hope when your family falls apart . Wow, is this a POWERFUL conversation.
This is not a topic people talk about--FULL. STOP.
But if you have a strained or difficult or estranged relationship with your parents and/or siblings, it affects you, as a woman, and your motherhood journey, in EVERY. WAY.
Julie tells her own story and how she has struggled towards emotional and physical health, freedom, forgiveness, and reconciliation.
I specifically chose this episode for after the holidays because family relationships can be so tough and the pain that comes from difficult or estranged relationships is often indescribable. It's easy to feel stuck and hopeless.
It's real, raw, and full of strength, hope and practical stories.
You're not alone.
Quotable Quotes:
“The problem with estrangement is that things aren’t worked out. That’s why you go away. So when you come back, it’s not like everything is worked out automatically. You’ve got the same people and the same problems, only I had changed in that I was going to set hard boundaries. I had to really, really work at saying no and my parents being angry with me. And whatever that meant, that was ok because I knew who I was despite what they thought."
"There is a difference between forgiveness and reconciliation. Forgiveness is about the offense. Reconciliation is about the relationship. Forgiveness takes one person—that’s between you and God. Reconciliation takes two people and both sides have to be willing to admit wrongs, to work together, to build trust, to do what you say, say what you do—it takes time. And if that person is not trustworthy, you have to set harder boundaries and step back. "
Resources: When to Walk Away by Gary Thomas
Find Julie here:
Estranged: Finding Hope When Your Family Falls Apart.
You can find it in paperback on Amazon or any other digital platform.
Social media for Pinterest, Insta, and FB is @julieaplagens.
You can find her blog at: momremaede.com
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