Girls born into the social class I was born in in 1969 were sent down stages, at 18, in a wedding gown to be debuted for the young men who could afford to manage the financial status to which we had become accustomed, as life’s only option.
Wealthy young wives were expected to keep polished silver out for any impromptu guest, forming an opinion on us.
We were expected to marry men prepared to pay for the help we needed to maintain our household so we wouldn't be inconvenienced from bridge and tennis games.
There was little concern about how the man felt about or treated us as long as he would fit the country club-private school mold. All others were discarded, regardless of emotional attachments or desire to marry outside of a world that doesn’t resonate with everyone.
It is extremely difficult to depart from the generational wealth that shackles newborns with trust funds, eliminating feel-good accomplishments while isolating us from resources outside the narrow world where we were raised. We are forced to show gratitude despite being silenced.
I am so thankful to be going into my future without the tentacles of my past. It never resonated with me, yet I've protected it until now.
Those Dresden ballerinas are in perfect shape after being in every storage space I’ve ever had around the country.
Before recognizing how shallow of a world I was born into, I used to value things that represented my heritage. I could not discern from within. I, fortunately, have now departed.
I could fill a well with the tears I shed to arrive here today; I am grateful for every one. Each tear was required to honor feelings I was previously prevented from expressing due to a home environment where people accused me of being “too sensitive” as opposed to embracing the beauty in my sensitivity.
Is there something in your family heritage that needs to be let go? Maybe a physical purge is in store for you and your future as it is for me and mine.
For updates on my upcoming book Spoiled, Rotten, Rich, Kid: A Different Kind of Trauma and to see my other books, please stay in touch at https://charlottessoul.com/
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