i feel horrible

Give her a flower and tell her that you realise the past is the past. That you understand she did the best she knew how to do at the time. Then remind her about a beautiful memory of you and her from your childhood, to show that you remember the good times as well, even though it's hard.
I doubt I can ever forgive my parents for the abuse and neglect I suffered as a child either, so I have some sense of where you're coming from, but it is important to recall the good things, as they help to balance out your judgments and put the pain you felt (and still feel) into a wider context.
I hope you feel better.

 

How about, "I forgive you."

Good for her, good for you, and good for God.

Acknowledge the past, but let go of it. And just let her know what you said in that post. Life is too short and we never seem to get enough opportunities to let the people we love know how wonderful and important they are to us.

Edit: ah, Helper Elf beat me to it.

 

I can tell you one thing for in an instant! That you are not to blame for it. Neither am I in a position to judge your parents, but as good 'Christians' they should definetly have known better than to hit you. It is perfectly fine for you to speak up about it as it obviously has hurt you. So you should not say you're sorry, what so ever!! I know that you feel this guilt because you care for your mother, but you cannot take the responsibility for the pain her foreign actions puts her through Now.. Because that is only an indication that she regrets it, which she should be!

However if you insist to ease things, you could say that you don't hold it against her because it was in the past, but that it was hurtful and that you don't understand how one can do that to a child.

Allthough, if it was me I would have her face it and reflect upon it.

 

.. but I like the way you put it, Satya.

 

I can relate to what you're feeling. My parents were raised in the era where violent punishments were considered completely acceptable. It was all they knew and I was a difficult child, so that was how I was dealt with.

I hated my father for years until one day, I sat down and talked with him.
That talk with my father was what opened the lines of communication and lead me to thinking. I realized that my parents were human. They were just as fallible as I. Though I can never say that their methods were acceptable, I no longer blame or hate my parents for it.

It took years to finally forgive them completely, but I'm thankful I did. The memories are still painful and probably always will be, but I know my parents were doing the best they could and forgiving them has only freed me and opened up the possibility for me to have the relationship with them that I have now.

Having discussed this enough with my parents, I know that they have been much harder on themselves than I have ever been. Parents never want to hurt their children. They are doing the best they can at doing the most complicated job on earth, and it doesn't even come with an instruction manual.

Forgiveness doesn't mean that what they did was right, that it won't have lasting affects, or it won't be painful. What it does mean is that you free yourself and open the possibility to truly heal and have a stronger healthier relationship than you have had.