“We don’t get to witness who we might have been if trauma hadn’t shaped us this way”

Simplified Meaning:

Trauma changes who we are and who we become. Imagine a tree growing in a forest. If a strong wind bends it early in its life, it grows twisted instead of straight. In the same way, when we go through difficult or painful experiences, they can shape our personality, choices, and even our future. These experiences leave marks on us, and we can't see who we might have been if we had never gone through them. For instance, someone who faced a lot of bullying in school might grow up to be very cautious or shy. They might wonder what their life would be like if they had been more confident, but they can't really see or experience that version of themselves. The advice here is to accept that our difficult experiences shape us, but we can still find strength and value in who we have become. Recognizing this can help us understand ourselves better and find ways to heal or grow from what we’ve been through.