Cynthia Erivo shares powerful message about parenthood

Cynthia Erivo has been offering a rare and deeply personal look into her early life in her new book, Simply More.

In an excerpt obtained by PEOPLE Magazine, the Wicked: For Good star opened up about her strained and essentially non-existent relationship with her father, using the experience to reflect on what parenthood truly means.

“We assume our parents are only our parents simply because we’re their kids,” she wrote, noting that she has long “absolved” her father of his parental responsibilities because, in her view, he “was never meant to be one,” even if he was the reason she was brought into the world.

“I read in a book by a wise human being that we fail to see that before our parents were parents, they were human beings with lives of their own,” she continued, acknowledging how often children forget their parents' individuality.

Erivo also offered a powerful, compassionate perspective on the complexities of upbringing, adding, “Maybe some of these humans are only meant to bring children into the world, not necessarily raise them.”

In closing, she reflected on how her life might have unfolded differently had he been present.

“The truth is, if my dad were to have raised me, I’d have no idea where I would be today,” she asserted.