“I took on 3 different jobs to pay tuition. My dad said, ‘Remember to always believe in yourself and you can accomplish it.’ Coming home from work, my husband was hit by a car on the freeway. I was unknowingly 8 weeks pregnant. We knew there was more we needed to accomplish together; our life did not end there.”
“’Where are you from?’ My first response used to be, ‘California,’ before I realized they wanted to know where I was ‘really’ from. I felt lost and alone.”
“I went from getting licensed to being a single parent almost immediately. I was in over my head. Together, we are conquering his demons.”
“My wig fell off when I was playing on the monkey bars. My twin brother saw and came over to shield me as I tried to put it back on. I dreaded lice checks at school.”
“I decided I HAD to do one more placement. He was physically violent and verbally abusive. I felt like a failure as a mom. I never even thought about trauma training.”
‘Can you give me a call?’ There was a 3-week-old who needed a home. He had some medical concerns, but I felt drawn to the situation. I was apprehensive I was the one who pushed Ron into saying yes.”
“They’d never had a bed or a bedtime, had never seen a vegetable or a toothbrush, and weren’t potty trained. ‘This will be worth it.’”
“‘I just want to be here for my boys.’ At barely 30 years old, I was diagnosed in the middle of a pandemic. We immediately started receiving packages in the mail.”
“The birth parents might want you in the labor room.’ I started bawling and was so nervous. I prayed we’d all end up okay.”
‘I needed the most invasive surgery. How do I explain any of this to my children? They were so small. All we could do was pray.”
