The people around me call me Mom. Most of the little humans anyways. Some call me Brooke, or Momma B. I am a wife, sister, best friend, teacher, and instructor. I am just a human living her life in the crazy world.
While you will find that this post might not be the typical informative post, sometimes information comes through everyday life, thus is why I thought I might share.
I didn't set out my life to do things differently. However, it seems that the life my husband and I lead is not what others call normal. We have 9 kids, but only three from my womb. I have heard the most horrendous stories from their origins that it can still drag me down at time like watching the waves be sucked out into the ocean. And though I have felt like I am drowning while I keep them all afloat, I would do it all again in a heartbeat. Simply because they are alive. Someone heard them and listened. I am grateful everyday for the people who were watchful, who listened, who did their job and who have been continuing to do so.
Secondary trauma, is a real and scary beast. One that I would like to touch on in a further post, but would like to take a moment to acknowledge. While we can have a cognitive education in how our brain works, sometimes, when you are in the thick of it, the waves just wash over you.
I could go on and on about what life in foster care is like, well from the lens in which I see it, but that is a rabbit hole I do not have time to get into right now, because I have to make dinner. What I will leave this first and probably odd introductory post with is this. Not everyone can foster, nor should everyone. But everyone can and should help. If you would like more information on foster care, adoption, or trauma related to this please feel free to reach out anytime.
Do you know a foster family? Make them dinner, offer to babysit so they can go out. Mentor a teenager, build a relationship with a foster kiddo or a bio kid from a foster family, relationship builds resilience! A night out for a couple is self-care. Volunteer at a nonprofit, and commit to doing so regularly. Everyone can do it. It just is not comfortable all the time.
Let's foster the revolution together.
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