Why do I feel unheard when I try expressing my feelings to my family?

Because they're often listening for what they expect to hear, not what you're actually saying. Mirabai's family wanted her to be a dutiful wife. When she spoke of devotion, ecstasy, freedom — languages they didn't recognize — they heard rebellion and ingratitude. She wasn't unheard; she was mistranslated. Families develop their own love dialects over generations. If your family shows love through loyalty and obligation, and you need words of encouragement, you're both fluent but speaking different languages. The frustration isn't stupidity on either side — it's a genuine mismatch. Here's what helps: Name the pattern gently. Not in conflict, but in a quiet moment: "I notice when I share something vulnerable, you respond with advice/humor/silence. I think you're trying to help, but I actually need you to just listen first." Then give them one small, specific thing they can do differently. But also prepare yourself: some family members may never fully translate. Mirabai eventually found her community elsewhere — people who spoke her language natively. Sometimes being heard means expanding who you're trying to be understood by. That's not giving up on family; it's protecting the examined heart they may not know how to see.