Send us a text

Have you ever found yourself nodding along to someone else's words while your own thoughts fade into the background? That moment of disconnection—of performing for approval rather than honoring your authentic self—may be more significant than you realize.

The mother wound exists in the tender, layered spaces of our primary relationships. It's not always dramatic or obvious; instead, it manifests in the subtle ways we've learned to shrink ourselves, seek validation, and silence our needs. From saying yes when we mean no to smiling when we feel unseen, these patterns form the invisible architecture of our interactions with others and ourselves.

What makes this wound particularly fascinating is its universality across cultures. Through conversations with women in Ghana, Japan, Brazil, India, Thailand, and Indonesia, similar themes emerge despite vastly different cultural contexts: mothers who gave everything but never verbalized love, daughters who learned to disappear in order to belong. While shaped by cultural expectations, these wounds remain deeply personal, requiring both cultural awareness and individual reflection to heal.

Healing begins not with blame but with understanding—naming the patterns that no longer serve us and reclaiming the voice we've quieted. Through practices like writing unsent letters, setting loving boundaries, and asking ourselves what we truly need in moments of disconnection, we stitch new threads into our stories. Each time we choose truth over performance, we affirm our inherent worthiness and wholeness.

Your voice matters, even when it shakes. If these reflections resonated with you, share them with someone who might need them. Subscribe to Voices Around the World wherever you get your podcasts to join us next week as we continue exploring the threads that connect our shared human experience.

Send us a text

What does it mean to carry home within you when borders shift and communities fracture? Ashley Pena, a Puerto Rican and Dominican trauma-informed wellness coach, opens our debut episode with a sensory journey through her cultural heritage—where the mingled scents of salt air, grilling food, and sunscreen transport her back to beach picnics filled with family, food, and music.

Beyond these warm memories lies a powerful story of healing. Ashley candidly shares how she navigated generational trauma without proper tools or resources, describing the painful contradiction of being expected to show resilience while vulnerability remained taboo. "Healing truly is a miracle and it's revolutionary," she reflects, "especially when there's so much generational trauma in your culture." This profound insight frames healing not merely as personal work but as cultural reclamation and collective liberation.

The conversation weaves through cross-cultural misunderstandings, the importance of finding joy amid hardship, and Ashley's passionate advocacy for equality in all forms. With remarkable clarity, she articulates how systems designed to preserve inequality require both awareness and action. Yet even facing these challenges, Ashley maintains hope by transforming her pain into purpose that supports others.

As we sample the flavors of her heritage through descriptions of pastelón and mangú, Ashley leaves us with a message that resonates far beyond cultural boundaries: "Your voice matters, your story matters, and what you have to offer the world matters." In these words lies the heart of Voices Around the World—the belief that sharing our authentic experiences creates ripples of understanding that can, indeed, change lives.

Subscribe now to join our journey exploring diverse perspectives that illuminate our shared humanity. What voice will you hear next?