Beyond the Golden Age: Healing from the Past to Build a Just Future

“The past is not a home—it is a lesson. Our work is not to return, but to heal, to build, and to create a future where dignity, justice, and humanity are not ideals, but realities.” - Mary Coughlin

Beyond the Golden Age

There’s a pull in today’s world—one that urges us to go back. Back to a time when things were supposedly simpler, clearer, better. Back to when "we knew who we were," when "people had values," when "life made sense." The call to return to a golden age is everywhere, from politics to healthcare, from social norms to economic structures.

But here’s the truth: that golden age never existed.

What many remember as "better times" were only better for some. Beneath the nostalgia, those same eras were full of exclusion, oppression, and inequity. The past was not a time of fairness—it was a time of unchecked privilege for some and deep suffering for others. And yet, in moments of cultural anxiety, we see this myth of the golden age weaponized—used to resist progress, to push back against change, to justify policies and practices that do not serve the fullness of our humanity.

This longing for a past that never was isn’t just nostalgia—it’s a barrier to healing.

What Are We Really Longing For?

When people wish for the past, they’re often yearning for something real: a sense of security, belonging, and stability. But those things are not found in the past—they are built in the present. And they are built not by excluding, restricting, or silencing others, but by expanding, opening, and creating space for everyone to thrive.

The same is true in healthcare.

For decades, medicine has followed rigid, hierarchical models, where patients—especially the most vulnerable—had little voice in their own care. The NICU, for example, was once a place where parents were told to observe, not participate—where babies were treated as passive subjects, not as whole human beings. Clinicians, too, were expected to simply "get the job done," rather than acknowledge the deep emotional and psychological toll of their work.

But trauma-informed developmental care disrupts that outdated model. It says: we don’t go back—we move forward. We honor the science that tells us that belonging, trust, and love are biologically necessary for human development. We honor the reality that families should be partners, not bystanders. We acknowledge that clinicians deserve the same compassion they are expected to give.

This shift in healthcare mirrors what needs to happen in society as a whole.

Why Are We So Afraid of Change?

Just as medicine has resisted more human-centered care, society resists new ways of thinking about justice, identity, and equity. The pushback against racial reckoning, gender equality, LGBTQ+ rights, economic fairness, and trauma-informed policies isn’t about “preserving tradition”—it’s about maintaining power structures that benefit the few at the expense of the many.

The question isn’t why are things changing?—change is inevitable. The real question is who benefits from keeping things the same?

• Who benefits when we tell women and marginalized communities to “go back to traditional roles”?

• Who benefits when we refuse to address systemic racism and pretend it’s all in the past?

• Who benefits when we punish people for their trauma rather than invest in their healing?

• Who benefits when we cling to outdated medical models that prioritize efficiency over human dignity?

The answer is clear: the people who already hold power.

Healing Means Moving Forward

The past isn’t something to return to—it’s something to learn from. If we truly value life, if we truly care about human dignity, then our work isn’t to recreate the past but to heal from it and build something better.

This means:

• In healthcare, we create systems that see people as whole beings—where babies in the NICU are not just “patients” but humans in need of connection, where families are empowered partners, and where clinicians are supported as healers, not just workers.

• In education, we tell the full story—not just the comforting parts—so that the next generation isn’t burdened with the same cycles of injustice.

• In policy, we make decisions that center equity, dignity, and access, rather than nostalgia for a time when fewer people had rights.

• In culture, we celebrate the full spectrum of human experience, rather than suppressing identities, voices, and histories that challenge our comfort.

What If We Built a Future We Didn’t Want to Escape?

The golden age myth is so powerful because people are exhausted. They want safety. They want peace. They want a world that makes sense. But going backward won’t get us there. The way forward isn’t in retreating—it’s in reimagining.

Imagine a world where:

• Every baby enters life knowing they are safe, loved, and valued.

• Every family is supported—not just in survival, but in thriving.

• Every clinician is honored—not just for what they do, but for who they are.

• Every person—regardless of race, gender, income, ability—has the dignity of being seen, heard, and respected.

This isn’t a fantasy. It’s a choice.

The golden age is a myth. But the future? The future is ours to create.

Let’s make it one worth living in.

With love, courage, and the unwavering belief that we can build something better,
Mary

P.S. If this message resonates with you, if you believe in creating a world where care is rooted in dignity, connection, and healing, I invite you to take the next step. Becoming a Trauma-Informed Professional isn’t just about learning—it’s about leading the way toward a more compassionate, just, and human-centered future. Join us in this movement. 💙