A Circle Completed: Childhood Photo Leads to Unexpected Apology

Almost everyone knows about the "Childhood Memories" group that leaves us with a taste of distant nostalgia on social media. This group posts memories of class photos from childhood and brings back events not easily forgotten.

Last week, one group member had a surprising turn of events allowing her to complete a circle.

In the Facebook group for a Tel Aviv neighborhood, a member named Ofra Morley posted something a bit different. She shared, "During my time at Aran School, there were 2-3 girls who, for some reason, didn't like me and even bullied me."

Morley, now a mother of two daughters, was surprised when "one of those girls reached out to me on Facebook and apologized for that period. Naturally, I forgave her, and we messaged for about an hour, sharing laughs."

How did it all start? Well, Morley explained that she began posting pictures from those days when she was in second grade: "Everyone starts opening their albums. I didn't find too many photos, but I uploaded what I found," she said.

It turns out that one of the girls who bullied Ofra was also a member of the group. She came across Ofra's post and sent her a message.

"She wasn't sure if I remembered her, and indeed I didn't recall her name, but I never forgot those girls. I even told my daughters about what I went through with them," Ofra shared. "She told me that it weighed on her conscience all these years, and she had been waiting for this moment. She wrote, 'I want to apologize for what I did to you as kids. If you've forgotten, that's even better, but if not, I'm truly sorry.'"

"She said something that really struck me," Ofra noted, "'I didn't even know you well enough not to like you, and that's the funny thing about life. I actually remember you.' She didn't even know me and didn’t understand why she acted that way."

This unique story has an added value, as another group member, who is now a psychotherapist, explains: "There are many adult patients who carry low self-esteem due to childhood bullying or alienation from peers... Many barriers can fall, and difficult patterns can be released by such a brave act."