How do I have honest conversations with my parents about unmet childhood needs?

This conversation is hard because it asks your parent to see you differently than they've seen you before. It asks them to hold both who they were and who you became. Rabia's path teaches us something crucial: you can speak truth and still love. You can name what hurt and still recognize what they gave. Start small. Maybe you don't launch into everything at once. "I need to tell you something that's been sitting with me," is enough. Speak from "I felt" not "you did." Not because you're protecting them, but because it keeps the door open instead of slamming it shut. They might not understand. They might get defensive. That's on them. Your job is to speak clearly and with love—which means speaking truly. After the conversation, give space. Real change takes time. What matters most is that you finally named it, finally stopped performing being okay when you weren't. That act of honesty is devotion to yourself and to the possibility of something more real between you.