Letting go of past hurt can be difficult, especially when it's your parents. But motivational speaker Upen Verma says holding on to blame or hatred doesn't make things simpler. Actually, it traps you mentally and emotionally. If you wish to live freely, you must forgive your parents, not to justify them, but to free both you and them karmically and mentally.

5 Things You May Need to Forgive Your Parents For

1. Forgive Your Parents for Not Teaching Big Life Skills

Many of us feel lost because our parents didn't teach us important life lessons. But the truth is—they probably didn't know them either. They raised you with what they knew, and it's likely no one ever taught them better.

2. Forgive Them for Raising You Through Their Trauma

Your parents also had their own emotional issues and life traumas. These things tended to condition the way they responded, raised you, or didn't get your emotions. It's difficult to give what you never had.

3. Forgive Their Belief in Societal Rules

Sometimes, parents impose outdated traditions or beliefs on their kids. They do so because society has taught them to observe rules. Knowing this can make you understand where they were at.

4. Forgive Them for Mental Health Struggles

Mental health wasn't widely understood in your parents' generation. If they acted out, misunderstood you, or weren't emotionally available, it could be because they were silently suffering themselves.

5. Forgive Being Pulled Into Their Struggles

Sometimes, you were part of their stress and problems growing up. Though unfair, it was never intentional. They did their best with what life gave them.

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Forgiving your parents doesn't mean forgetting—but it sets you free.