She was going to a new home this week. She looked down at her hands as the lady from child services told her about where she would be going next and silently counted. Number six. This would be Mia’s sixth home in a year and a half.
She looked up again at the lady – whose name might have been Amy, or something like that – and she saw her mouth move in slow motion. The sound was muffled.
“Let’s make this one stick,” Amy said through what sounded like a tunnel. “You’ll be eighteen next year, and you don’t want to push away your only source of support.”
But Mia resented the support. She resented the thought that she even needed support from anyone but her dad. She just wanted to go home to be with him again. She missed their late night Krystal runs and Star Wars marathons, and she worried about him. He needed her home with him to make sure he didn’t totally self-destruct. She was all he had left since her mom had disappeared after going on a binge.
And she knew his fate would be the same if she didn’t make it back home.
And it was.
Mia was eighteen now, and she felt like her life was spinning out of control. Her foster parents tried to help, but there wasn’t anything they could say or do to stop the spinning.
The only thing that could stop the spinning was the fix.
The fix of new relationships with men, the fix of new drugs – until one day the spinning didn’t stop. It kept spinning, and kept spinning, spinning, spinning …
Several years passed. Mia watched as Child Protective Services came to take her little girl to stay with new foster parents. Her shoulder was still wet with her daughter’s tears as she watched them drive away. Through swollen, tear-filled eyes, Mia knew she had to stop the spinning for good. She remembered how she had learned about Her Song’s program and decided to reach out for help.
At this point, she was hesitant, but she felt like it was her only hope.
Mia's transformation was nothing short of remarkable. With each passing day in Her Song’s program, she grew in confidence, acquired new skills, and started healing from her past. Mia also found herself forming deep connections with the Her Song community, offering and receiving support in her journey.
As she progressed, Mia dreamed not only for herself but for future generations. She aspired to create a better life for herself and her daughter. The skills and knowledge she gained through Her Song's program were not just for her; they were a legacy she was determined to pass on.
With unwavering determination, she broke the generational cycle that had bound her family for so long. Upon graduating from Her Song’s program, Mia began a new job, moved into a new home and reunited with her daughter at last.
Her world was no longer spinning out of control. And as she looked into her daughter’s sweet, brown eyes, she knew her transformation not only had a lasting impact on her own life, but it would have a ripple effect for generations to come.
*This story is inspired by true events.
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