“Know that I have seen you. I have felt you. I have held you. I have loved you.”

This is a letter to a life imagined, a life mourned.In this powerful spoken word piece, Alanna Markle reads Dear Helena, a letter written to the daughter she will never have. It’s a raw, intimate reflection on the grief, doubt, and quiet mourning that often accompanies the decision to remain biologically child-free.

Originally featured in Episode 95 of the No Street Lights Podcast, this letter moved us, and our audience, to tears. So we’re sharing it in full, on its own, as a space for reflection and understanding.Whether you’ve chosen not to have children, feel uncertain, or simply want to better understand the emotional layers behind that choice, this is for you.

🎧 Hear the full episode: Child-Free by Choice: Learning to Accept a 60/40 No

📍Watch or listen to the full conversation:

➡️ YouTube: https://youtu.be/n65JsfX6UfQ?si=mPkNmao5YLRvVHQg

➡️ Spotify: https://open.spotify.com/episode/5n21nLagHMn09457CJFC0S?si=93f570b919ee45ca

➡️ Apple Podcasts: https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/no-street-lights-podcast-real-stories-on-mental-health/id1696321025?i=1000706952105

📬 Subscribe for more real conversations about identity, mental health, and the decisions that shape us.

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