Beginning here…

I have thought about starting a blog for a while. A space to breath and articulate my thoughts. However, much of what I want to write about is not my story, alone, to share. Our oldest moved into our home, the year he was in my fourth grade class, around spring break. At the end of his fifth grade school year, we were able to finalize his adoption. He is a freshman in High School now. Parenting him is full of joy, but it is also full of all of the challenges that come with ten years of trauma. This tends to find a way into my writing. My heart is so connected to his. I can´t publish things so personal to him. I pushed the pause button on this idea. 

Over the last year, my son has been voicing a desire to reach out to others, to share his story, to help, to end the stigma of mental health… and has been asking for ways to do this. He recently raised over $500 for a nonprofit in our state, trying to make a difference for foster youth and their foster families. This child of mine, he is compassionate and inspiring. He loves Jesus. He is a world changer. He wants his story to help someone. He wants to turn his pain into something good. 

So, here we are, my son and I, TOGETHER, after a particularly challenging day, deciding that maybe this blog is where we begin. 

He will help write or approve of anything posted to this blog. Therefore, if questions are not answered, it is because he isn´t ready to. He will lead the way. We aren´t sure what will come of this, but it will be our little spot on the internet, sharing our thoughts, experiences, joy, struggles and triumphs, as we break free from complex trauma. 

It is not you against this child. It is YOU AND THIS CHILD against this child´s history. It is not a personal attack on you — Dr. Karyn Purvis