Je regrette a lot

You can't change the past, what's done is done. There is no point dwelling on things.

Apologise where you can, don't repeat past mistakes and go forward.

Annaraml. As another poster has pointed out, you were a very small child who had no intention of harming your kitten so please forgive yourself for your actions. Seeing it drowned in front of you must have been horrific. You have done all you can to help animals since so please forgive yourself xx

I love that phrase. When I knew better I did better. I'll remember that, it's so true

Of course you want to be free of all these thoughts that plague you Factfinder, and sometimes as we age they come more to the forefront of our minds.
grandtanteJE65 has the answer when suggesting going to confession. Only God can forgive our sins but I realize so many people do not believe this and will suggest many other alternatives.

We all do/have done things which we feel we shouldn't have done but I cannot tell you how great it is to have the burden of guilt/wrongdoing removed, uplifting our spirit.

A monumental event is on the horizon of the world's history relating to the ' illumination of conscience' which everyone will experience. I have known this will come about for a long time and if you wish to learn more see....
www.youtube.com/watch?v=rzz1Plypj3k

If you don't want to watch this, I would recommend you looking up the story of Marino Restrepo who I personally met some years back. His story is amazing.

I think living in isolation in lockdown has led many of us to look back through our lives and find things to regret. And only a saint could look back and find nothing to regret! I have this mantra written on a pebble and keep it somewhere where I will notice it each day. I look in the mirror and recite it so I can forgive myself, or I can recite it while picturing someone who has hurt me. It does seem to have a healing effect.

Factfinder I can identify with you. Never mind all the mistakes I made with my children ages ago (some of which I've apologised for) each night when I go to bed I think back over the day and there's always something I feel bad about.
As someone said, confession should release us from guilt. But this also entails trying to do better.
I talk to my husband about it and he can't understand why I care so much.
Did you live through WW2? As I did.

I know the theory about loving yourself and ‘ not sweating the small stuff” it’s the last thing I should be doing when I am heading towards ‘ old age.
But, and it is a big but, I was born anxious, and rotten parenting has left scars.
There is very little wrong with my life. I have great children, a amazing husband, plenty of money and yet anxiety gnaws and gnaws away. Sometimes I feel like two people. The rational one who says ‘ you are as good as anyone else. Then there is the other one..
Don’t we all feel guilty about something ?

I find myself doing the same Factfinder, I think it's because we have more time on our hands to analyse our life, maybe over-analyse. We cant go back and change anything but we can ensure we learn from the mistakes we made.