What Does “Healed” Look Like?

Dear Healed Black Girl,

Do you know what being healed looks like?

Like, do you have any role models or people you look up to who are healed?
I’ve been thinking about this a lot lately, and honestly—I can’t say that I do. I’m kind of figuring this whole thing out on my own.

It actually feels good… figuring it out, learning, living, and healing on my terms. But sometimes, I wish I had a role model—someone who could show me what healed even looks like.

Maybe that’s why I’ve been turning to Buddhism more. I’m still a newbie to the practice, but I’ve been drawn to it lately to help me understand what healing is—and to help me practice simply existing in peace.

Yesterday, I went to a meditation session. I didn’t know what to expect, but it was exactly what I needed.
I’m still processing it, honestly.

It was a one-hour session. I sat in a room with my… guide? (I don’t even know what to call her!) We talked a bit—and by “talk,” I mean I dumped out a bunch of thoughts into the space. She listened, and then walked up to the whiteboard and started a lesson.

She said something that really stuck with me:
“We have inherited habits from our ancestors.”

She talked about how she inherited anxiety. And that hit me. I had never thought about it like that before.

I immediately started to feel sad. Because that means I—we, as Black women—have inherited years of pain, sadness, and struggle.

But... we’ve also inherited grit. Strength. Perseverance. Creativity. Beauty beyond belief.

Yes, I want to heal for myself. But I also want to heal for others.
Even if I never have kids, I can still heal for the people who interact with me. For those who do have kids. So that I can be more peaceful with them—and in turn, maybe they’ll pass that peace on.

That’s my hope, at least.

So let me ask you:
What did you inherit?
And how can you begin to heal from it?

— A fellow Healed Black Girl