// IN RELATIONSHIP // HEART FULL + FULLY PRESENT
I’ve been reeling for two days now, in a beautiful way.
Every fibre of my being is softly buzzing after a visit with my Lebanese dad (yes, I have two dads – doubly blessed). This visit unfolded differently. We spoke of generations past, of the recycling of old family patterns, of the chapters that found him back and forth between Lebanon and Africa… of how it felt to be a child with his parents, and what ultimately brought him to Australia.
I’m so deeply grateful to have had such conversations, while he’s still here, to learn about untold stories, to uncover more about his and my heritage.
I was also deeply moved that my preteen son was present for it all. Not behind a screen. Not distracted. Fully with us - listening & engaged. Curious about a generation so far from his own, one many youngsters might brush aside as irrelevant.
Afterwards, I thanked him for staying with us in that space and even apologised if he had been bored.
He reassured me with:
"I found it all really interesting. I was happy to be there."
Vulnerable moments were shared with my dad and stepmum.
Tears fell. And the room felt wide open, filled with honesty and offerings of exchange, all with so much love.
And it’s from that place I write to you. To gently ask:
Is there a conversation sitting quietly in your heart?
One you wish you’d had, or still hope to have?
Maybe it’s uncomfortable. Maybe you’ve been waiting for the “right” moment.
Maybe it’s with someone whose presence or history in your life is complex, even painful.
If it matters to you, could now be the moment to open it gently?
For the record, my relationship with my dad hasn’t been a fairytale.
It’s been full of turns, seasons, distance, and the slow work of returning.
Do remember… no one is perfect. No relationship is.
Everyone is carrying their own weight of conditioning, trauma, culture, and circumstance.
Most are doing their best with what they were given.
And still, there is always time to share what’s in your heart.
With kindness. With gentleness. With honesty.
I hope your words land in a space held by curiosity and compassion.
I hope you are well received.
But if you’re not…
Zip up your emotional vest. Know you are safe, capable, and universally supported.
Not everyone is ready. And that’s okay too.
And if your person is no longer around… Speak your truth anyway.
Say it out loud, whisper it into the trees, write it in your journal, share it with a trusted friend.
Let it ripple out of your body and into the world.
Because the truth isn’t only about facts. It’s also your experience, your inner reality, your lens, your memories. And in the end, the most powerful thing might not be proving who’s “right” or “wrong”…
But simply meeting in that tender middle space.
The space where hearts can be heard.
These reflections, about bridging, about complexity, about truth and togetherness, are at the centre of everything I create.
They live in my work.
They live in me.
They live in all of us.
And I would love to hear from you…
What conversation are you holding onto,
that maybe, just maybe, it’s time to release?
With love,
Angela Licciardi.