• She expressed shock at how some family members treated her

• She reflected on feeling grateful to be alive despite past difficulties

Britney Spears said that she feels "lucky to be alive" after the way some of her family members treated her in the past.

She returned to Instagram on Wednesday, posting a photo showing an adult holding a newborn’s tiny hand, accompanied by a caption emphasizing the importance of feeling connected to others.

In her post, she wrote: "For those in your family who said helping you means isolating you and making you feel forgotten… they were wrong. We can forgive as humans, but we never forget. Longing and desire for connection is always crucial. I’m incredibly lucky to be alive given how they treated me in my life, and now I’m afraid of them."

Spears added: "My friends, what do you think he might say today? Honestly, no matter what he says, they will never take responsibility for what they did."

The 44-year-old singer noted that she remains estranged from most of her family, including her mother Lynne Spears and father Jamie Spears, since the end of her controversial 13-year conservatorship, which lasted until November 2021.

She also mentioned that she has a better relationship with her 19-year-old son Jayden James, according to a social media update shared over Christmas, and that she co-parents her other son, 20-year-old Sean Preston, with her ex-husband Kevin Federline.