I lost my father about a year and a half ago. In the years leading up to his passing, we hadn’t spoken for nearly four years, and I learned of his death from others. There are things I both regret and do not. My father was, without a doubt, a very hardworking man, and he provided for our family. But at the same time, he was physically abusive toward us, including my mother. The impact of that abuse was severe. both mentally and physically. Some of us suffered broken bones, bleeding noses, broken teeth, and other injuries, in addition to lasting psychological trauma that still affects us today as adults. I do not regret acknowledging the truth of our experience or recognizing the ways it has shaped us. At the same time, I do carry a sense of regret, regret that our relationship never healed, that we never truly reconciled or spoke openly in those final years. It’s a painful truth, but one that I continue to reflect on as part of my own journey toward understanding, healing, and moving forward.