Serena Mastin

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I wanted to tell my kids the truth without asking them to carry my emotions. When Keith asked how I shared my story with them, my answer was small batches. I introduced things over time. I didn't want to hide forever. I also had to think about how to be honest in a way that allowed them to feel their own emotions without taking responsibility for mine. That balance mattered to me. My kids were seeing more than I realized while I was trying to protect them. When I began talking openly, they also saw how I chose to move forward. This is my experience, not a formula for every family. I shared it with Keith and Jon because the way we have a difficult conversation can matter as much as deciding to have it. How do you make room for honesty without putting everything on the other person? Watch this Center Stage moment below.

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I don't want my past to write every sentence of my future. In my conversation with Keith and Jon, I explained why I pay attention to the language I use about my own story. I can acknowledge painful things without organizing the rest of my life around a victim and a villain. That is a choice I've made for myself. It doesn't change what happened, and it doesn't tell someone else which words they should use. For years, I was good at helping other people communicate while hiding parts of my own life. Learning to share honestly also meant noticing the stories I was repeating to myself. I'm still going through my process. I want the language I use to leave room for who I am becoming. Is there a way you describe your past that you've started to question? Watch this exchange from Center Stage.