Returning After Five Years: A Journey into the Past, Healing, and Community

Today, after five years of estrangement, I am travelling to see my family. I reached out, they welcomed me back, and now I find myself stepping into a moment I never thought would come. I have no expectations—only a willingness to show up, to stand in whatever emotions arise, and to see where this path takes me.

Revisiting the past is never easy. It takes courage to turn towards what once hurt us, to acknowledge the weight we still carry from childhood, and to make peace with what was. A lot of us have had difficult relationships with our parents. Some wounds linger beneath the surface, shaping how we move through the world. The fear of going back to face it all is real. And yet, here I am, choosing to do just that.

Through this journey, two things have become clear to me:

1. Be Kind—You Never Know What Someone is Carrying

Childhood traumas don’t just stay in the past—they live in us. They shape how we love, how we trust, and how we respond to the world. And many of us, including the people we meet daily, are quietly carrying those wounds. The suffering is real, even if it isn’t spoken.

We live in a world that often asks us to ‘move on,’ but healing doesn’t work that way. So if someone is distant, struggling, or reacting in ways that don’t make sense—pause. They might be fighting a battle you can’t see. Be kind. Recognise their humanity. That kindness matters more than you know.

2. Healing is a Community Job, Not a Solo Mission

So often, we treat healing as an individual pursuit—as if it’s up to one person to ‘fix’ themselves. But real healing doesn’t happen in isolation. It happens in the presence of love. It happens in safe spaces where we are seen, held, and given the room to work through the things we never got to process.

I’ve realised that facing childhood pain isn’t just about me—it’s about the people I surround myself with. The ones who remind me I am more than what happened to me. The ones who walk beside me as I navigate the emotions that arise. Healing isn’t just an internal process—it’s a collective effort. And finding the right people, the right community, changes everything.

So as I take this journey today, I hold these two truths close:

• Be kind, because many are carrying wounds they never talk about.

• Healing is not a solo act—it takes a village.

If you’re on your own path of healing, I see you. You are not alone. And no matter how long it takes, there is always a way forward.

With love,
Mahdi