All of us come from stories larger than ourselves. We inherit not only the color of our eyes or the shape of our smile, but also the patterns, beliefs, and wounds of those who came before us. Sometimes these patterns are nourishing – resilience, creativity, love. Other times, they carry pain – cycles of silence, addiction, abandonment, or violence.
Many of us reach a point where we begin to ask: Do I want to continue this story? Or is it time to create a new one?
This is what it means to break the cycle: to pause, to look honestly at where we come from, and to choose which threads we will carry forward – and which ones we will lay to rest.
My Story
Since I was a little girl, I carried the weight of my family’s stories – their joys, their losses, their struggles, and their pain. At the time, I didn’t understand why my parents acted the way they did, or why certain things happened that felt so wrong. As children, we rarely connect the dots. We simply absorb. We learn through their words, their silences, their actions – even the ones that leave scars.
It wasn’t until much later, through deep reflection and the support of plant medicine, that I began to see with new eyes. The hidden threads of my lineage became visible.
I could feel what my ancestors endured – the grief that had gone unspoken but never disappeared. And I began to see how those unhealed wounds were passed down, shaping not only them, but me.
For many years, I carried that pain forward. I repeated the same patterns, hurting myself, and in ways I regret, also hurting others.
Yet slowly, something began to shift. Through medicine work, meditation, writing, ritual, and the willingness to meet my shadows, a quiet truth emerged:
The cycle ends here.
That realization was the doorway – the beginning of a path where healing wasn’t only for me. It was also for those who came before me, and for those who will come after. This is the legacy I now choose to create.
Remembering My Roots
When I look back, I don’t only see pain. I also see strength. Both of my grandmothers carried immense burdens, yet also gave me gifts I still hold.
One raised thirteen children on her own, her life soaked in sorrow, yet she still found ways to offer love. The other gave me summers filled with freedom, music, creativity, and the tenderness of nature.
From them, I inherited resilience, endurance, creativity, and the ability to find beauty even when life feels heavy.
This is the paradox of lineage: we inherit both the wounds and the medicine. Remembering my roots allows me to hold both truths – to honor the pain that shaped me, while drawing strength from the love and resilience that live in my bloodline.
Reflections for You
You, too, carry stories – some written long before you were born. Healing invites us to see clearly: to name the patterns that wound us, and to also remember the roots that nourish us.
I invite you to pause and reflect:
- What cycles or patterns have you inherited?
- Where do you feel the strength of your roots?
- What are you ready to release, so it doesn’t pass on to the next generation?
- What new legacy do you wish to create?
A Journaling Practice
If you’d like to take these reflections deeper, find a quiet moment with your notebook. Take a few breaths to settle, then write freely in response to these prompts. Let your pen move without judgment:
- The cycles or patterns I see in my family story are…
- The strengths and gifts I’ve inherited are…
- What I no longer want to carry forward is…
- The new legacy I choose to create is…
When you’re finished, read your words back slowly. Circle one sentence that feels especially powerful or true for you right now. Keep it close – on a sticky note, in your phone, or somewhere visible – as a reminder that change begins with awareness.
Walking the Path Together
Healing is not a straight line. It asks for courage, tenderness, and practices that help us reconnect to ourselves, our bodies, and our roots. For me, that has looked like plant medicine, breathwork, meditation, ritual, writing, and honest self-reflection.
If you are walking this path, know that you are not alone. Many of us are learning, step by step, how to tend the roots of our stories with compassion. This is the work I devote myself to: supporting others in remembering their truth, tending their roots, and moving forward with love.
May you find strength in remembering where you come from, courage in choosing what to release, and hope in the new legacy you are creating. And may we all, in our own ways, walk forward with a little more love and gratitude.
Holistic Wellbeings 
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