😶🌫️ What it means to have grown up with a missing parent
Growing up with a missing parent meant learning to navigate the world without half of your original support system, often feeling incomplete in a society built for two-parent families.
You may have felt like you were missing a piece of the puzzle that everyone else seemed to have. Whether through death, abandonment, or circumstances beyond anyone's control, that absent parent left an invisible presence in your life - someone who should have been there for milestones, guidance, and daily support. You learned early how to fill gaps that other kids never had to think about, becoming more self-reliant than your peers while sometimes feeling different or "less than" in family-oriented settings.
You may have developed an intense fear of abandonment alongside remarkable independence, creating relationships where you simultaneously cling too tightly and keep one foot out the door. The missing parent became both a source of deep longing and a template for expecting loss, teaching you that the people who matter most can disappear without warning.