Ep. 6 - The Letter From My Mother

Finding Forgiveness; a Family Fairy Tale

Today, I will share how I bounced from home to home in high school and one of my biggest disappointments when my mother didn’t come to my graduation. I understand it is not uncommon for a high-school student to live with a friend while completing their senior year. I know it happens for a good reason. What is not common is for your mother to disown you during this time, and as an adult, some 32 years later, you still don’t have the answer to why that happened. Listen in as I share the events that continued to pull my mother and me apart.

IN THIS EPISODE:

• [0:00] Susan shares her most profound disappointments surrounding high school.

• [2:53] Susan moves in with her mother, and the family moves into town to be close to school.

• [6:29] Susan’s mother moves away to live with her new partner and leaves her with a high school friend.

• [12:45] Susan makes plans for high school graduation, and her mother turns her back on her.

• [16:29] Moving on to university and accepting her relationship with her mother and forgiveness comes.

• [21:03] Acceptance is possible, and understanding may not be necessary. If a listener is struggling with something similar, please contact Susan.

KEY TAKEAWAYS:

• [0:00] A moment in time can impact your life from that day forward.

• [15:25] A parent’s intentional, thoughtless decisions can leave scars on a teenager and be carried on through one's life.

• [21:03] You need to be open to positive influences.

QUOTES:

“One typical day in my teenage life, my dad called, as he did frequently. He said I received a letter from your mother today. It says that she thinks you're screwing up your life, and she doesn't want to have anything to do with you. Enclosed were all your unpaid bills that she'd agreed to pay.” - Susan Gibson

“At the age of 50, I realized that I no longer needed to know what happened. I could finally let that question go. This has allowed me to move towards forgiveness toward my mother. It was liberating and my heart opened wide.” - Susan Gibson

RESOURCES:

Susan Gibson - Email

ABOUT THE HOST:

Susan Gibson grew up in a small town in Northern Maine, the only surviving child of parents who married young and divorced young. From the influence of their shared experiences, Susan has learned two things that are core to who she is: the value of community and the power of having a voice.

Susan has spent her entire academic and professional career as a woman in tech, starting her career as a developer in the mid-80s to today, where she is CEO of Temenos+Agility, a management consulting company she co-founded with her partner, Siraj Sirajuddin, where they help enterprises transform organizationally and personally, to find a more meaningful way to deliver value to their customers.

Susan is a frequent contributor to the Women in Tech (WiT) Regatta and speaks at public and private events around the world, using her voice to grow communities of women, mentors and allies in tech.

Susan has many lifelong pursuits - healthy eating, fitness, yoga & meditation, music, theater, opera, reading, movies, travel, family and friends. She is also rebuilding her family’s 110-year-old homestead in Northern Maine, a true labor of love.