For of my life, my mother’s words cut me down more than they lifted me up. She was always criticizing me—how I looked, the choices I made, even my dreams. It felt like no matter what I did, it was never enough. I started to believe her, and deep down I thought maybe I really didn’t have the potential to succeed. As I got older, something shifted. I began to realize that her criticism wasn’t really about me, it was about her fears, her disappointments, and the way she was raised. She didn’t know how to encourage because she had never received encouragement herself. That realization didn’t erase the pain, but it helped me see her with more compassion. The first step in fixing our relationship was setting boundaries. Instead of staying quiet when she put me down, I started speaking calmly. It took time, patience, and forgiveness on my part, but slowly, our relationship began to heal. She hasn’t completely changed, but she tries and catches herself before making certain comments.