In this deeply personal first installment of a two-part interview, we sit down with a young woman who bravely revisits her childhood memories of growing up with a father in prison. At just eight years old, she faced confusion, abandonment, and silence—waiting by windows, making up stories at school, and learning to carry emotional weight far beyond her years.

She shares vivid moments of hope and heartbreak, including the day her dad didn’t show up to pick her up from school, and the rare times he did—with gifts and smiles that made everything feel okay, if only for a moment.

This episode explores the emotional complexity of parental incarceration through the eyes of a child who was never given the full story, but felt every part of it.

Content Warning: This episode contains sensitive reflections on childhood trauma and family separation. Please listen with care.