Reliving childhood life experiences: a memoir of complex family ties

A memoir can be defined as a written factual record of a person’s life. It differs from autobiography, the biography of oneself narrated by oneself, which is less focused on emotional aspects and interpersonal relationships. Writing a memoir can be challenging as it refers to memories which might be actually true but are often biased. Biases emerge as a consequence of personal influences such as emotional reactions to the account of the experience and also because of the distorted memories of the other individuals involved (family, friends, etc.). The piece of writing presented here is an account of a premature personal experience which has been traumatic, although not immediately. The memoir has been conceived primarily as an invitation to reflect on a particular situation which is the negative influence of relatives on an individual’s existence at an early period of life, that is, birth.