I grew up in foster care and aged out at eighteen, and I'm grieving a childhood I never had but people tell me to be grateful for what I got instead of dwelling on the past.
More people experience this than they realize.
Some losses are not of what was, but of what should have been, leaving mourners without language or witnesses for their pain.
“Where Are You with Disenfranchised grief — when loss isn't recognized?”
If this sounds familiar, the Library can help you find the bigger picture.