Editing Openai/6904e1b3-b1d4-8007-b938-da625cb3f2bb (section)

==== You don’t need to let it go. ====
But you can give it a voice.
And a form.

Here’s what you can do:

===== Not to him as he is — but to the version of him who was free: =====
* “I wish we had gone hiking together.”
* “I wish we had listened to music and talked about what it meant.”
* “I wish I could have sat beside you without feeling crushed.”

You’re not asking him to be that father.
You’re acknowledging the child who longed for it.

===== Light a candle. Sit with the ache. Say aloud: =====

: 

===== You don’t need to pretend the past didn’t hurt. =====
But now, if it feels true, you can:
* Share a small interest
* Offer presence without pressure
* Let go of expectations, while honoring the truth of your journey

You don’t need to “heal” the relationship.
You’ve already healed enough to be present, which is more than most ever reach.