Intergenerational Narrative and Pathways to Compassion: A Qualitative Study of Midlife Women’s Family Stories

Compassion for self and others could be among the most important indicators for thriving, sustainable relationships. This could be especially true in midlife, when substantial relational renegotiations often occur among women, their children, and aging parents. Little is known about how compassion for self and others is negotiated during this period. The present qualitative study explored compassion and self-compassion among 50 Latter-day Saint women aged 40–70 from six countries. Participants shared stories about mothers or grandmothers and reflected on how those narratives influenced their own lives and current transitions. Inductive and theory-informed coding identified three primary patterns: compassion directed toward self, compassion directed toward mothers, and compassion directed toward both self and mother. Across these patterns, participants evaluated relational context, personal capacity, and perceived need when describing compassionate responses. Rather than functioning as stable traits, compassion and self-compassion appeared in these accounts as context-sensitive processes that shifted with circumstances, available resources, and evolving interpretations of family narratives. These findings suggest that intergenerational narratives can provide a way for women to appraise need and capacity and describe different expressions of compassion and self-compassion. These narratives may inform understanding of resilience, family relationships, and therapeutic practice.