💔 What it means to have grown up as an orphan
Growing up as an orphan meant learning early that the people who are supposed to stay can just... disappear, leaving you to navigate the world without your most fundamental safety net.
You may have learned to take on more responsibility than other kids your age, helping to fill the gaps left by having fewer adults in your life. Growing up without parents meant missing particular role models, perspectives, and sources of support that could have helped shape your understanding of relationships and identity. You became incredibly self-reliant out of necessity, developing strength that most kids never had to find, but this came at the cost of learning to trust that others will be there.
You may have learned to be careful not to need people too much or get too comfortable anywhere—painful lessons from all the disruptions in your family structure. When good things happen, part of you is already preparing for them to fall apart, making it hard to fully enjoy stable periods in your life. At a fundamental level, you question whether you deserve a stable family or lasting love, seeing past disruptions as omens that will inevitably reappear in your future.