Episode Transcript
[00:00:01] Speaker A: Welcome to Life Reviewed, a podcast by Hope House Colorado, where we invite you into conversation with teenage moms and the people who champion them. These stories of struggle, overcoming and perspective shifts will challenge you to review life as you've known it. One story, one person, one conversation at a time.
[00:00:28] Speaker B: Hi. Welcome to Life Reviewed. My name is Sandra. I am one of the lead residential advisors here at the residential program. I am sitting with Daisy. She was one of our previous residents here at Hope House. Hi, Daisy.
[00:00:46] Speaker A: Hi. How are you? I'm okay. How are you?
[00:00:50] Speaker B: I'm good.
[00:00:51] Speaker A: This is so exciting.
[00:00:54] Speaker B: This is super exciting. I'm glad that we finally got to meet and catch up and check in.
[00:01:00] Speaker A: I know it's been a while. For real? Yes.
[00:01:03] Speaker B: Yes. What has been going on with you lately? What's new?
[00:01:08] Speaker A: Well, I finally got my place in December.
It was so exciting to share that with all of you guys because you guys seen like the Homeless Journey and I started school, cosmetology school. And it's going pretty good so far.
[00:01:24] Speaker B: I love that.
[00:01:25] Speaker A: Yeah, it's so exciting.
[00:01:27] Speaker B: Where are you attending school?
[00:01:28] Speaker A: Emily Griffith.
[00:01:29] Speaker B: And how do you like the program?
[00:01:31] Speaker A: The program's pretty cool. The teachers are really nice and like, strict, which I need that everyone knows I need the strictness.
[00:01:39] Speaker B: The strictness in the structure. Yeah, that's funny.
[00:01:43] Speaker A: It's really nice. I actually, like, I didn't know, like, cuz growing up I always wanted to be in the makeup and hair industry, but like, I never really chased that dream until like, I was like, okay, you need to figure out what you finna do for school.
[00:01:59] Speaker B: Yeah.
[00:02:00] Speaker A: So I finally, like, finally was like, okay, let's just do this and try it. And it's. I'm doing the full time right now, so it's like from 7:30am to 4:00pm oh, wow. Which is a lot of information to take in every day. And it's Monday through Thursday.
[00:02:16] Speaker B: Okay. I was gonna ask what your schedule was like. Yeah, that is a lot.
[00:02:20] Speaker A: It is stressful, I'm not gonna lie. But it's so worth it because I'm learning so many things and I just get excited to go to school.
[00:02:28] Speaker B: I love that. What is your favorite part about school? Like, what are you learning right now that you really find interesting? And then what's your least favorite?
[00:02:36] Speaker A: I think the least favorite topic is the book stuff because I have really bad adhd, so, like, everything has to be hands on for me.
[00:02:48] Speaker B: Okay.
[00:02:48] Speaker A: And like, with the book stuff, I have to rewrite and rewrite and rewrite in order to, like, get it stuck in my head.
[00:02:53] Speaker B: Yeah.
[00:02:53] Speaker A: The hands on stuff is what really is fun for me, because I like. It gets stuck in my brain.
[00:03:01] Speaker B: Okay.
[00:03:01] Speaker A: I get to like. And I love to practice it because they give us a bunch of mannequins. I don't know if you saw them last time you went to my house.
[00:03:08] Speaker B: I don't think so.
[00:03:09] Speaker A: But I have, like, mannequin hands laying around, and people laugh every time they come to my house because they're like, why do you just have these heads everywhere?
[00:03:16] Speaker B: That's funny. And I'm practicing.
[00:03:18] Speaker A: Yeah. But it's so much fun. And I love to do hair. My favorite part right now so far is color.
[00:03:24] Speaker B: Okay.
[00:03:25] Speaker A: Because that's always been my thing, is coloring and, like, bleaching hair.
[00:03:29] Speaker B: Yeah.
[00:03:29] Speaker A: And I remember when Kai was here.
[00:03:32] Speaker B: He had red hair.
[00:03:33] Speaker A: Oh, yeah. He's been asking me for purple hair, and I'm just like, well, think about it.
[00:03:39] Speaker B: That's funny. How long have you been in the program now?
[00:03:42] Speaker A: I've been here for five years, and I age out this summer.
[00:03:45] Speaker B: Oh, yeah.
[00:03:46] Speaker A: Because I turned 25 this summer, and I'm like, no.
[00:03:49] Speaker B: Yeah. Well, you know, you're always welcome here.
[00:03:52] Speaker A: So. Yeah, I'm gonna try to volunteer. I started offering free haircuts, not just for practice, but for girls that need one.
[00:04:01] Speaker B: Oh, that would be a great service.
[00:04:02] Speaker A: Yeah. And I really, like, once I get my license, I really want to offer kids, mostly boys, because boys hair grows really fast. I want to offer them a free haircut here at Hope House, like, every two weeks. Just come show up and like, that. Be my volunteer service.
[00:04:16] Speaker B: That would be really beautiful.
[00:04:17] Speaker A: Yeah. I really want to do that. That's my goal.
[00:04:20] Speaker B: Hopefully.
[00:04:21] Speaker A: Yes, we'll support you.
[00:04:24] Speaker B: Yes. Well, with aging out, how did you hear about the program first, like, what. When did you start at Hope House? How old were you?
[00:04:32] Speaker A: So I was 18, almost.
No, I was 17, almost 18 when I got pregnant with my son. And. And what's your son's name? Malachi. With my Malachi. Yeah. He was crazy. He's still crazy. But anyways, my mom went to a Denny's one time, and there was a pregnant girl there, starving people. Like, she was a waitress. And my mom saw her and, like, she was like, oh, my gosh, she's a young mom. Like me, like, my daughter, you know? And, like, they just, like, started talking about how my mom was a teen mom, and she was like, well, if your daughter's pregnant, like, there's this program called Hope House, and, like, she kind of just Put my mom onto what the program was about. And, like, my mom got excited because she knew I wanted to finish school, but I didn't have the chance to.
And just knowing that, like, we have that help.
[00:05:31] Speaker B: Yeah.
[00:05:31] Speaker A: My mom was like, oh, like, this isn't just going to be all on me, you know? Like, she got excited knowing that we had help.
So I remember Hope House was closed temporarily while I was pregnant because they were building this RC here. Oh, Nevada. And I think it was like, a month or three after I had Malachi that they opened the rc. And I was like, let's go check it out.
So we finally came and we signed up, and, oh, it was so exciting to meet everyone. And I, like, none of. Pretty much half of the staff that was, like, here when I started is pretty much gone now.
[00:06:09] Speaker B: Oh, wow.
[00:06:10] Speaker A: Yeah. Which is so crazy. Like, the way how fast Hope House moves. Yeah, I love it.
[00:06:17] Speaker B: Awesome. What do you think Hope House has. How. I guess I should say how do you think Hope House has helped you the most? We have. We do offer a lot of resources. So where do you see that you've succeeded the most with.
[00:06:32] Speaker A: I feel like living in the houses where I succeeded a lot. Okay. Because I was in a toxic relationship with my son's father when I was first at Hope House. So that, like, that just says it all. Toxic. Like, I couldn't. He wouldn't let me finish school. Like, he'd want me to be home 247 with the baby. And I'd be like, dude, but they have, like, help. Like, they could watch the baby while I go to school. And he just did not care. Like, he was like, no, you're not doing that. So after I finally left that relationship, like, I was finding my own self. Like, I was in my own journey, I guess. And that's when I fell into poverty and, like, homelessness. And I ended up here last summer. And I feel like I succeeded with you pushing me because you did not joke around.
You and Britney.
[00:07:28] Speaker B: Yeah.
[00:07:29] Speaker A: And I love that because, like, it got me. I ended up. I mean, I finished school on myself, but, like, I. Figuring out a lot about myself. Like, I didn't know. Like, I didn't know. I had a lot of patience. Like, I didn't know. Like, I could just, like, sit down and zip it. Like, I just learned a lot. I learned a lot of. Mostly about my spiritual journey with God and, oh, my God, I'm so thankful for you guys. Like, even. And I love the church that you, like, introduced me to because I got baptized There.
[00:08:00] Speaker B: Yeah.
[00:08:00] Speaker A: And it's just beautiful. I feel like the most. The biggest thing that Hope House did for me was let me find myself as a teen mom. Oh, I'm gonna cry.
[00:08:10] Speaker B: Yeah.
[00:08:11] Speaker A: Because it was a very hard journey.
[00:08:14] Speaker B: I know.
Well, thank you for sharing that with us, Daisy. I love that you find the healing part in Hope House, because a big part of self sufficiency is finding yourself in healing through the journey. So I'm glad that we were able to, like, offer that support for you as well and. And to, you know, have that closure and, like, sense of. Of belonging, but also peace and knowing that, like, you're safe here and.
[00:08:40] Speaker A: Oh, yeah.
[00:08:41] Speaker B: Yeah.
[00:08:41] Speaker A: I love you guys so much. Oh, my God. I still miss the house.
[00:08:46] Speaker B: Yeah. How was your experience living in the house?
[00:08:49] Speaker A: It was hectic.
I, like, hated it when I was here, but, like, I learned to appreciate it because, like, I think the reason why I hated it is because I was one of the oldest girls here, and, like, there's just stuff I couldn't do. Like, we all got treated equally, which was, like, a hard, like, oh, girl, you gotta get in line.
[00:09:11] Speaker B: Yeah.
[00:09:12] Speaker A: And I got sober living here because I had an alcohol problem also. Like, it was just beautiful, like, experiencing all the love, like, unconditional love that me and my son never really received.
[00:09:28] Speaker B: Yeah.
[00:09:30] Speaker A: I need to stop crying.
[00:09:31] Speaker B: No, that's okay. It's all right.
[00:09:33] Speaker A: But I think the. The biggest thing about living in the house, in my journey was getting close to God.
And I'll. I'll keep giving props to the Lord, because it's like, whoa. He really had me discover myself in ways I didn't know.
[00:09:54] Speaker B: But it's good.
[00:09:55] Speaker A: It was. It was hard living here, I'm not gonna lie, because it was strict. It was. You got to be home all time, you know, on time. But it helped because my son needed that routine. I needed that routine because we were always just doing whatever to survive, I guess, you know?
[00:10:16] Speaker B: Yeah.
[00:10:17] Speaker A: Mostly living. We were. Because we were living in a hotel for the longest before we moved into Hope House.
And we. I felt like we just couldn't sleep, me and my baby. Like, it was so hard because there was just random people knocking on our doors at, like, three in the morning, and you were just staring. What's going on? Yeah. Like, we just couldn't sleep. There was no peace where we were at. And, like, when we found that here, oh, my God, it felt so great. Like, it took us a while to get used to it, but, like, even you guys told me, like, you guys saw the big drastic change in our attitudes in mine and my son's, which was a big eye opener because I was like, this is what you need. Like, this is. And I felt like that's when I started taking it serious because I even told you guys, like, put me on whatever you guys need to put me on just so I'm on track.
[00:11:10] Speaker B: Yeah.
[00:11:11] Speaker A: And I was on track. Like, I made sure I got all my classes done. I ended up graduating.
I was even excited. I was so excited that I even got to give a speech out to the girls when they graduated from high school. Yeah. It was the high school program. Yeah. That was beautiful. That was a beautiful experience.
And I love just being able to be around you guys 247 because the company was very well needed.
[00:11:43] Speaker B: Yeah.
[00:11:43] Speaker A: I miss your cooking, that's for sure.
[00:11:46] Speaker B: Oh, thank you. I. I miss cooking as well. I moved to day shifts so I don't get that extra time at night or on the weekends to cook for you ladies. So maybe I'll try it once a month.
[00:11:58] Speaker A: Yeah.
[00:12:01] Speaker B: Well, thank you for sharing all that, Daisy. Thanks for sharing your heart. I know that's not easy, but we, we are just so grateful for you and Kai. And there's still a lot ahead of you. What do you plan on doing, like, in the future? You're in school now. Like, where do you see yourself in two years?
[00:12:20] Speaker A: That's such a tough question.
In two years.
Oh, man, I don't even know. I just really hope after I'm done with school I get something figured out on the business side. Cuz I want to open a shop. Wow. Because even one of my little sisters, she started doing nails and she's practicing and she wants me to teach her.
[00:12:45] Speaker B: Okay.
[00:12:45] Speaker A: The stuff that I'm gonna be learning. That way she can go into school and have some experience and then get her license.
So I wanna open. I just wanna have, like a business going for myself and for my son especially.
[00:13:00] Speaker B: That'll be awesome.
[00:13:01] Speaker A: I would be so happy if I could do that in two years.
[00:13:04] Speaker B: Yes.
[00:13:05] Speaker A: But I know it's gonna take some hard work to get there. But that's. That's definitely my plan. Like, I want to open a shop and get that going.
[00:13:13] Speaker B: I love that. I'll be there.
[00:13:15] Speaker A: Thank you. Thank you.
[00:13:17] Speaker B: Let's go ahead and take a break and we will be back.
[00:13:22] Speaker A: Hi, everyone, it's Celeste, development coordinator at Hope House Colorado.
[00:13:26] Speaker B: We have an awesome group of 233.
[00:13:28] Speaker A: Champions called our Bedrock Builders who donate.
[00:13:31] Speaker B: Monthly gifts and we would love for you to join this group is super.
[00:13:34] Speaker A: Special to our moms because it provides.
[00:13:36] Speaker B: Them stable support through an income stream.
[00:13:38] Speaker A: That they know they can always count on. If you'd like to become a monthly donor, please visit hopehousecolorado.org donate now and make your recurring donation today. Thank you so much for empowering our teen moms.
[00:13:53] Speaker B: Welcome back to life Reviewed. I'm Sasha. I'm sitting here with Daisy.
Daisy. I wanted to get into our relationship and how we met. We met here through Hope House. But how the experience was with you living here at the house and the connection that we built and that we have and I, you know, hope to continue to have with you.
[00:14:16] Speaker A: At first it was very rocky, cuz, but I feel like we were like, the perfect match because. Oh, yes. Huh? Kidding. I agree.
But it was just very tough because I couldn't open up at all and. And like, I would. I just have, like, this tough skin. And it's so hard for people to really get to know me. Like, I'm an open book. I could talk about my life, but, like, to really get to know me, it's really hard for people to get in there like that. And you were like, girl, I'm a use this hammer and break into these walls to figure out who you are. And, like, I really appreciate you for taking the time to getting to know me and, like, having the most amount of patience because you already know we've gone through some. Some stuff.
[00:15:07] Speaker B: Well, nothing is perfect.
[00:15:09] Speaker A: No one is perfect, so. But I just love how, like, our relationship grew. I really, really enjoyed being able to, like, come to you about anything. Like, mostly when I have my friend die on the week of my birthday, that was, like, super tough because my birthday was already tough on top of that. So, like, having you actually, like, be a shoulder that I was able to cry on. And, like, you actually listened to me and, like, you getting emotional.
But that was, like, very lovely to experience because I never had anyone to listen to me other than my therapist, but they're important.
But I never have, like, someone that went through, like, similar stuff that I went through to, like, be like, it's gonna be okay.
[00:16:02] Speaker B: Yeah.
[00:16:04] Speaker A: Thank you.
[00:16:05] Speaker B: I definitely would give all the glory to God because I felt that he really used me and my experience as a teen mom to serve. Serve you ladies and serve you ladies well as a team mom. Like, I know the. The struggles that come with that. I was 16 when I got pregnant, and then I had my daughter. Three months later, I turn and I.
I wish that I would have done the research to find resources Like Hope House because I think to myself, like, I'm in a good place now, but I imagine where I could have been had I, you know, really focused on my self sufficiency and bettering myself and. Oh, you were young though, right? So we don't think about that in the moment.
[00:16:50] Speaker A: But my mom says the same thing. She's like, oh my God, how I wish I had that help. Cuz my mom was a teen mom too.
[00:16:57] Speaker B: Yeah, yeah, yeah. It's a blessing. So I feel that even though I, I didn't get involved in a program like that, I'm. I feel so blessed that God is still using me and my lived experience to be here for you, you young ladies and your children and just loving on you and really showing unconditional love and, and, but you know, love, grace and truth all in one. I don't think that I, I could have done that without my experiences but also without God for.
[00:17:27] Speaker A: Amen.
[00:17:29] Speaker B: Amen. Yes.
[00:17:30] Speaker A: I love it. Yeah, that, that was a, that was a hard relationship to build, but it took us both a lot of patience and love.
I agree. I love just getting to know you.
[00:17:43] Speaker B: Oh, thank you.
[00:17:44] Speaker A: I was like, oh, here comes Sasha.
[00:17:47] Speaker B: I, I do really enjoy being here with you ladies and, and giving you some insight on my life. You know, I, as a team, I'm like, I was in also an abus and that was a main reason why my daughter and her dad and I didn't work out. But you know, you have to evaluate your situation and assess like what is going to be the best for myself and for my kid. And making those big bold moves is what's the hardest. But those are the ones that really change your life, so.
[00:18:20] Speaker A: Oh yeah, I agree.
[00:18:22] Speaker B: The hardest part is just seeing it. Yeah.
[00:18:25] Speaker A: It takes a lot to finally say I'm done. Yeah.
[00:18:29] Speaker B: Yeah. And I'm so grateful that we could be also that support for you while you're here.
My biggest support system, as I was, you know, learning how to be a mom, was my mother.
And I don't think I could have got a lot of that done without her.
So I am just grateful that I'm here today. So, yeah, Hope House has also been a blessing to me. I get to, I get to come to a job that I really, really love. And I don't even see it as a job. Like if. What do they say? If you love what you're doing, you won't work a day in your life. There's like a quote that says that. Don't quote me about, but I think it's so true. Like, I. I used to be a hotel supervisor and customer service. Oh, girl. See, it, it has its challenges. You know, discounts are fun, but it just wasn't my calling. I felt like I could be doing so much more and using, like, my heart and in my lived experience, somewhere else. So I'm glad that I came here and it's been a blessing. It's been a blessing to see you grow, see your son grow and just him coming out of his shell, you coming out of your shell and having all these big accomplishments, like you said earlier, going to school and getting your own place and, you know, just wanting better for yourself. And it's, it's always cool to, to know that you had some hands in the pot with that.
[00:20:01] Speaker A: Yeah. I'm so blessed to have you guys support because I never had that.
[00:20:06] Speaker B: Thank you.
[00:20:07] Speaker A: Yeah, it was beautiful. I will keep repeating that it was an awesome experience, even though there was like, rocks in the road. But I learned a lot. I learned patience. I learned a lot of. About myself. I didn't even know I had a voice and I started, like, using it respectfully.
Yeah, I don't even. Girl, you, like, took me out.
[00:20:35] Speaker B: Let's talk about some of our classes and, you know, resources that we've provided that have helped you to have that voice and to give you that confidence. Like, can you tell me some of the classes that we've offered or events that you just really felt touched your.
[00:20:51] Speaker A: Heart, opened your eyes in the house. It was definitely Bible study.
That that's what helped me start building my relationship with God. Because I already pretty much had a relationship, but I didn't know, like, I could sit there and really learn about myself through God.
And I did learn a lot about myself through God. And at the rc, I think it was the self care classes, the, the case meetings. Because when me and you would sit down and be like, okay, what have you accomplished? Or what do you need to do next? That's what had me so focused because I'd be like, okay, I need to do this in the next two weeks, or you already got this out the way, so let's focus on this. And I don't know, at the rc, like, I was just trying to knock it, like down so I could go work, because I really wanted to go work.
Yeah, I think the self care classes, the classes Danielle was doing for a little bit, the groups.
[00:21:55] Speaker B: Oh, and Grace.
[00:21:57] Speaker A: Yeah, the aca. Yeah, those groups. Like, just knowing that I wasn't alone through those groups. Yeah, that was low Key. Really amazing because there was things I thought I was only experiencing and hearing girls that were either a little older than me or younger, way younger than me go through those things. I was like, whoa, I'm not alone. And that just was a big eye opener.
And that helped me grow a lot because I started realizing that, like, I became a mentor for a lot of these girls and I didn't even know.
[00:22:32] Speaker B: Yeah.
[00:22:33] Speaker A: Until, like, the staff would tell me, like, you know, a lot of these girls look up to you, and I'm like, what me?
So that was really sweet to find out.
[00:22:42] Speaker B: Yeah. You're a natural.
[00:22:43] Speaker A: Thank you.
[00:22:45] Speaker B: I love that.
Let's. Let's go back to the.
The Self care series. Can you. Can you give us some insight on, like, what that looked like for you in those classes? Self care can be, like, such a broad.
[00:23:01] Speaker A: Yeah.
[00:23:02] Speaker B: Topic.
[00:23:03] Speaker A: I suffer a lot from severe anxiety that I even have, like, a heart condition from it.
[00:23:07] Speaker B: Oh.
[00:23:08] Speaker A: And my anxiety is really, really bad. Like, it will just happen randomly. You've noticed.
[00:23:15] Speaker B: Yeah.
[00:23:16] Speaker A: And the Self Care taught us, like, breathing techniques, which. Oh, my goodness, when I tell you those have helped me so much. Like, there's times where I'm even driving and I need to do these self care little breathing techniques. They help me so much.
They also taught you how to, like, try to make time for yourself.
Like, oh, why your baby's in the bath. Try to pluck your eyebrows, or yes. You know, like, try to do something like that.
They made us just realize, like, you have to make time for yourself because in order to take care of your kids, you have to take care of yourself.
[00:23:55] Speaker B: Yeah.
[00:23:56] Speaker A: And that took up a lot because at the time when I was living here, I know you noticed that I was just so focused on getting closer to my son.
[00:24:06] Speaker B: Yeah.
[00:24:07] Speaker A: Than to know I wasn't really tuned into myself. And, like, self care taught us to, like, try to find things that we love.
[00:24:19] Speaker B: Yeah.
[00:24:20] Speaker A: And, like, I completely forgot that I love to read. That was, like, a big thing for me.
And that's where. Book club. I joined book club, and it's a great class. Thank you, Emily, because she makes it so fun. She is amazing for that. That class.
But, yeah, when I joined book club, that was great because I loved it. It was like I felt like a kid just diving into a book again, because books really make you feel like you're living it.
It's way better than a movie.
[00:24:54] Speaker B: Yes.
[00:24:55] Speaker A: I agree. People hate it when you say that, but it's so true.
[00:24:59] Speaker B: Is there a book that you can remember that you ladies read in book club that that really resonated with you or that you just truly enjoyed reading?
[00:25:07] Speaker A: The one I really enjoyed was Una out of order.
[00:25:10] Speaker B: Okay, what's that about?
[00:25:11] Speaker A: They didn't really like it, but I did because I don't know if you remember the. The movie 13 going on to 30. Yes. It was kind of like that. Like she would wake up here and there and it was a different year.
And she would be like, just one day she'd be 17 and then she's 30, the next she's 25 and like she's just trying to piece her life.
Just. It was just a crazy book. It really was a crazy book. You have to read it. I can't even describe it, but it was just an amazing, like, experience because I forgot I had that love for reading. And finding that out through self care class was like, whoa, like, this is my self care. Like opening up a book and just spending time reading was my self care.
[00:25:58] Speaker B: Like getting lost.
That's a great point.
[00:26:02] Speaker A: Yes. I love it. I love to read. To this day, I still do.
[00:26:06] Speaker B: I love that.
How about here at the house? It is community living. Do you remember a time where like you and the other residents had a really special moment or. Or an activity or even if it's just like girl talk?
[00:26:28] Speaker A: I think it was that one game night we had with Megan.
[00:26:32] Speaker B: Oh, yeah. Yeah.
[00:26:33] Speaker A: Those are fun. I think it was just two of us, but. Because everyone else was. Had an overnight. But I remember, like, we were laughing so hard that our stomachs hurt. And like it felt so good to laugh like that again because it. It was a while that I didn't laugh that hard in a very long time. And I was just like. Like I felt like I was in the moment. Like I felt alive. I didn't feel like I was surviving.
[00:26:59] Speaker B: Yeah.
[00:27:00] Speaker A: And it felt so good to be like, you know, like, I'm here, I'm here. And that's such a blessing to experience because I felt like God was trying to let me know, like, you're okay.
[00:27:12] Speaker B: Yeah.
[00:27:13] Speaker A: And that was amazing.
[00:27:15] Speaker B: Yes. I love that.
[00:27:16] Speaker A: And I loved when we would like all just randomly cook together.
[00:27:19] Speaker B: Yeah.
Yes. We were all our own little chefs.
[00:27:22] Speaker A: Yeah. Like, we would all come up. I felt like the girls when we were all here together, those specifically the ones that were living with me, we would all come up with like dinner for the night.
[00:27:36] Speaker B: I remember that.
[00:27:37] Speaker A: And like, not only would it save us money, but like, it would save us time. And like, we actually enjoyed sitting down with each other and Having a meal, and, like, I feel like we pushed each other to, like, oh, girl, go do your chore so we can start dinner.
[00:27:53] Speaker B: That's funny.
[00:27:54] Speaker A: But, yeah, I loved it. I loved cooking with the girls. I loved that. That night, specifically the game night. That was. That was a core memory, for sure.
[00:28:03] Speaker B: That's awesome. I'm sure Megan would love to hear that.
How about. How about Kai's experience living here at the house?
[00:28:14] Speaker A: Oh, he loved it. I felt like at first it was very rough because going. We found this out going through therapy, but he had it really hard with transitioning.
[00:28:24] Speaker B: Yeah.
[00:28:25] Speaker A: And that was because we transitioned so much being homeless that, like, he never had somewhere stable.
But, like, being here not only made our relationship grow, but, like, I got to see my baby, like, experience him being a kid.
[00:28:42] Speaker B: Yeah.
[00:28:43] Speaker A: Rather than him worrying about, like, oh, we can't have dinner tonight because we ran out of food, or, oh, the room's gonna be cold, like, because, you know, we didn't have to worry about, like, the most simple things.
[00:28:56] Speaker B: Your basic needs. Yeah.
[00:28:58] Speaker A: And I don't know, just seeing him, like, build relationships with you guys was so cute, because it's like, I've never seen my son love on someone more than me.
[00:29:11] Speaker B: Yeah.
[00:29:11] Speaker A: Does that make sense?
[00:29:12] Speaker B: Yeah.
[00:29:12] Speaker A: Like, I've never seen him, like, be so excited to see certain, and I'm just like, let's go, Kai. Yes. And I feel like he felt the love here, too, because we had to learn patience with him for sure. Because he's been through a lot also.
[00:29:30] Speaker B: Yeah.
[00:29:30] Speaker A: And having to, like, break certain routines for him and certain.
What do you call it?
[00:29:39] Speaker B: Like, the way that he thinks. Like, perceptions.
[00:29:42] Speaker A: Yeah, like, certain perceptions. And, like, just certain stuff that he thought was okay, which wasn't, like, having to reteach him good, healthy habits.
[00:29:53] Speaker B: Yeah.
[00:29:53] Speaker A: Is what, like, really helped him thrive and, like, figuring out a routine for him. Mother. That took a long time because we went from timers to drawing schedules to drawings. It was. To everything. But then when we finally found, like, a set routine that he would have followed, it was fun.
[00:30:17] Speaker B: Yeah.
[00:30:17] Speaker A: It was so fun to see my. My son engage with that. Yes. Routine. And then seeing him being able to be like, oh, I got this, like, you know, and then seeing him get excited to go to bed, seeing him get excited to wake up and go to school, like, that was just beautiful to me.
And he still loves it. Like, every time we come to Hope House, he thinks we're moving back in the house.
He's like, where's our stuff, mom? And I'm like, we're not moving back in, dude.
[00:30:47] Speaker B: We have our own place now.
[00:30:48] Speaker A: He's like, but I miss Sasha and I miss Brittany. He just talks about all of you guys, and I'm like, oh, I miss them too.
[00:30:55] Speaker B: We miss you guys a lot. Yeah, we all do. I love that, though. I love to. To see him prospering and just like you said, finding himself while he was here as well with you. But it's beautiful to have that. You know, it's your child, but it's beautiful to have them with you along that hard journey, to see the growth that you guys do together and. And to share some really hard moments, but then to share really beautiful blessings. And I. I think you've been doing such a great job, and I loved seeing. I love seeing you guys when you come here.
[00:31:34] Speaker A: Even though he has me chasing him everywhere.
[00:31:37] Speaker B: He. Yes, he's. He's a runner. He's fast.
[00:31:41] Speaker A: He thinks he's Sonic Kai, the character.
[00:31:45] Speaker B: That's funny.
How. How has he been since moving from the residential program?
[00:31:51] Speaker A: He thinks we're gonna keep moving.
He just. Because. Well, right when we did leave the residential program, we moved into an apartment, and we were only there for four months until I found this new place. And, you know, God has settled very well compared to that apartment we were at, and he thinks it's just gonna continue. Like, he wakes up randomly while I'm getting him ready for school and just asks me, like, so when are we moving into a new place? And I, like, feel bad, but at the same time, like, it's good that he got used to change because it took us a while for him not to hurt through all this transition.
[00:32:32] Speaker B: Yeah.
[00:32:33] Speaker A: But now he gets excited for change.
[00:32:35] Speaker B: I love that.
[00:32:36] Speaker A: Rather than scared. And it's a big deal. Yeah. Like, that's a great. Like, a big step. Because I was the same way as a kid.
[00:32:46] Speaker B: Yeah.
[00:32:47] Speaker A: We were moving so much that, like, I was always scared of where we were gonna go next.
But, like, I feel like my son sees that support in me where he's like, I'm okay because mom makes sure I'm okay, and he's not scared. Like, he's ready to tackle anything like his mom. And I just love that about him.
And he actually loves it. He loves having his own room. He makes, like, the biggest messes, but he cleans it up.
And he loves being to sleep in his room. I mean, he has his times where he's like, can I sleep with you?
[00:33:23] Speaker B: Yeah.
[00:33:24] Speaker A: I'm like, sure, why not?
Even though you're gonna take over my bedroom.
[00:33:31] Speaker B: But he's gained a lot of independency.
[00:33:34] Speaker A: Oh, yes. Like, he'll wake up on the weekends and I could be like, sleep out of it. And he'll make himself a bowl breakfast, some cereal, and just come in my room, lay on the bed while I'm still sleeping, turn on some cartoons and eat his breakfast. And that's what wakes me up because I'm like, good morning. He's like, oh, good morning, mommy.
Yeah, he's very independent. I love that about him. But sometimes I'm like, be a little baby again.
[00:34:03] Speaker B: Yeah, they definitely do grow.
They grow so quickly. My. My daughter is 18 and she'll be graduating this year. So I. Yep. Enjoy every moment. Capture all the moments and even ones that you think aren't a big deal.
[00:34:19] Speaker A: Yeah, I try to spend as much time as I can with him.
[00:34:23] Speaker B: I love that. What do you guys do together?
[00:34:25] Speaker A: We love to read together. Yes, he loves to read.
Sometimes he won't stay still for the book, and that's when I could tell, like, it's a boring book for him.
But we do love to read. We love to go on walks together, go to the park, and we like to play video games together.
[00:34:45] Speaker B: Oh, how fun. Yeah, that's cool.
[00:34:47] Speaker A: He'll put me onto some crazy games, and I'm just like, trying to figure out what I'm doing. And he's like, hold on, I got you. Let me teach you. And I'm like, okay.
[00:34:55] Speaker B: Isn't that so funny when your kids teach you something?
[00:34:57] Speaker A: Yes. But it's so fun because I did. There's this game called Among Us.
[00:35:03] Speaker B: Oh, yeah.
[00:35:04] Speaker A: I never knew how to play that. And my siblings play that together. So, like, I just never, like, I wasn't really into video games. Yeah. Since I was a kid. Because when I was a kid, I loved video games, but my son started getting into them, and I was like. Because he'd randomly come up to me and be like, can you play with me? And I'd be like, I don't know how to play. And he'd be like, oh, I'll teach you, mom. I'll teach you. This is how you do this and that. And I'm like, okay, that's funny.
[00:35:29] Speaker B: He's a whiz at it.
[00:35:31] Speaker A: Yeah, he's a little nerd for sure. And I love that about him. He'll. He'll just talk about anything with anyone.
[00:35:41] Speaker B: That's funny. I love that, though. He. He has a lot of confidence.
[00:35:44] Speaker A: He does. He really does.
I feel like, he knows. He's so loved and appreciated.
[00:35:51] Speaker B: Yeah.
[00:35:52] Speaker A: Yeah. And he helps me so much lately.
Yeah. He's such a good kid.
[00:35:59] Speaker B: I love that. We miss. We miss seeing you guys around here at the house and just, you know, walking in through our. For our shifts and hearing our names being yelled from downstairs.
Miss Misty.
Yeah, I definitely. I know. We miss it here. For sure.
[00:36:19] Speaker A: He was the loudest in the house.
[00:36:22] Speaker B: Yeah, he was.
But it was great, though.
[00:36:26] Speaker A: Yeah, he carried the energy. Yeah. He's so much fun. I'm so blessed to have him.
[00:36:32] Speaker B: Yeah.
[00:36:32] Speaker A: I feel like a lot of people don't talk about it enough, but I feel like my son's saying saved me from a lot of, like, brokenness, even though I did bring him into, like, a broken home. I feel like we made our own home together.
[00:36:46] Speaker B: Yeah.
[00:36:47] Speaker A: But, yeah, he saved me from a lot of sadness, a lot of hurt, and, like, he taught me how to heal for him.
[00:36:56] Speaker B: It's beautiful.
[00:36:57] Speaker A: Yeah. I love him. I love him so much.
[00:37:02] Speaker B: No, I love that.
Wow. Daisy. What?
We have how many more months with you before you age out?
[00:37:14] Speaker A: What are we in?
[00:37:15] Speaker B: We are in March.
[00:37:19] Speaker A: Five.
[00:37:20] Speaker B: Five months. Do you plan on, like, being here a lot more before. Before you go? Like, we offer a ton of classes during the week. You know that. But we also do dinner.
[00:37:30] Speaker A: You want to come?
Well, because summer times around the corner, I really want to try to come as much as I can during the summer when I'm not in school.
[00:37:39] Speaker B: Yeah.
[00:37:40] Speaker A: But I was telling you, I really want to volunteer in the house specifically.
[00:37:44] Speaker B: Okay.
[00:37:45] Speaker A: My mom's always like, go work for Hope. And I'm like, I think I still need to grow a little bit before, but I really would love to work in the house if I ever get a chance to.
[00:37:57] Speaker B: But.
[00:37:57] Speaker A: But I feel like I would have volunteered to come cook for the kids or have a fun activity.
[00:38:04] Speaker B: They love that.
[00:38:05] Speaker A: Like, Misty. Kind of like a Misty.
[00:38:08] Speaker B: Okay. Shout out to Misty, because Misty's so sweet.
[00:38:12] Speaker A: She, like, oh, she was a lifesaver for real, because sometimes I'm trying to get my chore done. While I was living here, Kai was just running everywhere making messes where I just cleaned up, and Misty would show up. I'm like, watch him just for, like, 10 minutes, please. And she would just sit there and, like, play with the kids, and it was. It was like, a little fresher breath there.
[00:38:34] Speaker B: Yeah. Yes. Misty loved. And she still comes every Friday for her volunteer shifts, and she's. She's. She's the saving grace for the. With the children. And she. She enjoys it. So maybe you should come and be our next Misty.
[00:38:51] Speaker A: Misty, part two.
[00:38:53] Speaker B: Misty, part two. That's funny.
How are we doing? Okay, well, thank you so much, Daisy, for hanging out and chatting and catching up and letting us just get to hear your experience here at Hope House and sharing those difficult moments with us. And I'm glad that you and I got to do this together. And I am so excited to see what you have in store for yourself, but also what God has in store for you, because, you know, he knows. He knows the plans for you, and they are always good.
[00:39:26] Speaker A: Thank you.
[00:39:27] Speaker B: You're welcome.
[00:39:28] Speaker A: I love you so much.
[00:39:29] Speaker B: I love you, too.
[00:39:30] Speaker A: Thank you guys so much for listening to us.
[00:39:34] Speaker B: Thank you so much. Thanks for tuning in to life. Reviewed this was Sasha and Daisy. Yeah.
[00:39:41] Speaker A: Have a good.
[00:39:47] Speaker B: The things I didn't know the things I didn't know about you oh, precious soul the things I didn't know the.
[00:39:59] Speaker A: Things I didn't know about you about you.
