Sometimes I love the fact that my life goes weeks being so peaceful and quiet that I don’t have anything exciting to tell y’all. I’m almost done with my bedroom and will send a picture next time. I have a headboard to put together first. Wish me luck!
I do have exciting news now though. I’M GETTING A DOG FROM A LOCAL SHELTER!!! She is under 25 pounds and over 6 months old, just like my apartment requires. And she’s already potty trained. Thank God! I’ll send y’all a picture when I get her home.
Somehow I always manage to come into some kind of boy drama, but these days I just be walking away like it’s nothing. Oh? Red flag? Gotta bounce. Like my old superintendent used to say, I’m just out here breaking all the hearts. Really though, I just want a strong Christian man who will pray with me and bring consistency and stability into my life. Is that really too much to ask?
My 18-year-old son, the one I gave the car to, is in Marine boot camp right now. I still haven’t gotten to talk to him myself, but I get updates, and he graduates in a week! I’m so freaking proud of him. My 22-year-old is still struggling some. She and her partner are moving in with someone else where they’ll have their own space, so I’m praying this will be a better situation for them.
My 15-year-old, Khloe, is still planning to go into ministry. I sent my sister money for her learner’s permit. And my 10-year-old, Kasey, had a friend invite him on a pirate cruise, so I got to pay for him to go. I am grateful that even though I don’t get to be part of their everyday lives right now, I get updates and I can still help them experience life in little ways. Those little ways mean more to me than I can explain.
Also, if y’all need me to look up anything like careers, halfway houses, reentry resources, whatever, please ask me. I will do it. Sometimes it takes me a little time, but I’ve already been doing it for some of you, and I genuinely love doing it. It’s become one of my passions.
I can help with resumes, reentry goals, career plans, halfway houses, or just figuring out what steps you can start taking now to set yourself up for success when you come home. And I don’t care if your release date feels forever away. Start anyway. You don’t have to wait until you’re 10 years or six months from the gate to start building the life you want to walk into.
I signed the paperwork to transfer my probation out of state. The president of my company, our chief administrative officer, and my direct supervisor all wrote letters to probation supporting my transfer. I am so lucky to have a career with a company that is so encouraging and supportive of me. They know where I’ve been, they love me right where I am, and they cheer me on for where I am going. I don’t know if I will ever get used to having people believe in me like that. So cool.
Sometimes I still have moments where I look around at this quiet little life I’m building and think about how scared I was to come home. And now my biggest problems are putting together a headboard, deciding what to name my dog, and dodging red flags.
I’ll take it.
Y’all, God is so freaking good.
XOXO