What I wish someone told me before I started healing generational trauma...

Nobody prepared me for the profound sadness that comes with accepting that my family couldn't give me what I needed. When you start healing from family trauma, you don't just grieve what happened to you… You grieve what didn't happen for you. You grieve the unconditional love you never received, the emotional safety you never felt, the childhood innocence that was stolen too early. Through my own journey and nearly 20 years of family work, I've learned that this grief is sacred and necessary. What you'll grieve: - The parents who could see and celebrate your authentic self - The childhood where your emotions were welcomed and validated - The family that could repair when they hurt you instead of denying it happened - The unconditional love that didn't come with conditions and performance requirements - The emotional safety that would have let you trust your own feelings and needs Why this grief matters: Grieving what you didn't receive makes space for what you can create. When you fully feel the sadness of what was missing, you can finally stop trying to get it from people who can't give it. You can start giving it to yourself.