CONNECTING FOOTPRINTS

No Matter Where You Are On Your Parenting Journey You Are Welcome Here

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Let's talk about the elephants in the room

As a stressed-out, working parent, one of the things I’m often asked is "How did you start this?” The simple answer is I needed an outlet, I wanted to do good, and some supportive people joined the ranks..

I'm a single mom, an educator, an advocate, a survivor and a dreamer. Footprints has added immense value to my life; I love the chance to share with our readers the parts of my experience that shape me. I can never repay all the people who helped shape Footprints-- so I aim to bring meaningful content in it's place.

I'm not the only contributor--- we have other mamas sharing vulnerable parts of their lives, tips, and expertise.

Do you have a topic we should tackle? Send us ideas or share in the comments section.

Recent Posts

“Ground Control to Jessica”

Bonkers Parenting in Quarantine

Finding My Sheep

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Bonkers Parenting in Quarantine

Bonkers Parenting in Quarantine

Parenting, no matter which way you slice it, is hard. Add a pandemic to the mix and suddenly every piece of confidence may crumble like your first foray into French baking from scratch. Or Do It Yourself Haircuts... you choose your poison. I felt good in my first two weeks of Quaran-homeschool. I'm a teacher by trade, I love routines and emergent learning, and I was born to bake. I didn't bat an eye when I learned we'd be teaching our kids and staying home all day. Budgeting

Stop the Train

Stop the Train

Sometimes a train of negativity sweeps you down the rails of poor thinking patterns and dysfunctional coping skills. Yet somehow we keep making the mistake of letting the train pick us up and blow us through Trauma Town like a regular in a downtown bar. It’s one thing to be self-aware and a completely other thing to cultivate the skills to actually change the issue. Change takes action. Change hurts and requires a not-so-gentle lean in to discomfort. As humans we crave comfor

Nothing Beats a Cardboard Box

Nothing Beats a Cardboard Box

Day-to-day is my reality. It's not a choice, I don't enjoy it, but it's the way life is right now. There is hope that someday I'll be able to plan out my week or even tomorrow, but for now each day remains open until the morning of. Living with complex grief and a lifetime of trauma means that, at any moment one of my million triggers can pop up and send me spiralling backwards to past thoughts and feelings, interrupting my very ability to function like a normal human. This h

You Should Work Here

You Should Work Here

In a smelly closet covered in graffiti I made my first call. Please bring me clothes. Please. Please I begged. Please bring me a book that isn’t Nancy Drew, Tom Clancy or a religious self-help book from 1970. I need toothpaste. Soap. Deodorant. Socks. A bra they will allow me to wear. Everything about this room felt dirty. People paced back and forth during my call, listening, wanting my story. The day room surprised me. For a space supposed to help bring comfort it rivaled t

Drowning on Dry Land: Moms Can't Cry

Drowning on Dry Land: Moms Can't Cry

“That’s me in the corner. That’s me in the spotlight losing my religion.” This lyric plays in my mind when I contemplate the progression of my journey as a single parent. The on-going attempts to level the playing field of support occupied my days, my evenings, and thoughts. Legal matters stole my attention from work, my family, and my ability to find the floor in the laundry room. I cycled in moments of strength and sunken hope for over five years. When I recall the anguish

" The Elephant in the Room"

I have PTSD and I am not crazy.

I have PTSD and I am not crazy.

Fear is a liar. Sometimes when I think back to my past I perseverate on the lies my fear told me. Being afraid had become so ingrained in my way of being I knew no other head space to occupy for a long time. My fear convinced me I possessed little value and no skills to strike out on my own. Fear told me marriages, even a broken ones, needed to be salvaged for the sake of children. Fear told me my history dictated the possibilities of my future. And I believed each lie. I l

Tsunami

Tsunami

Sometimes a heart just bursts. We love so deeply we cannot keep the vast emotions in one simple container. The following tells a brief snippet of a single mother, Teresa, gathering her strength. Her story takes her across decades of setbacks and sacrifices for her children. Now in her late 40s, her perception on raising three daughters roots itself in hard-earned wisdom and powering through strife. I love this woman. She inspires me constantly. Not because she’s only endur

Turning A Corner by the Scandalous Grace of God

Turning A Corner by the Scandalous Grace of God

The bulk of my blogging centers on the time in my life as a Parent Crisis and the healing process. Today healing that has dangled in front of me for the past year entered my grasp for some real soul replenishing. “You turned a corner Jessie. Good for you. I’m proud of you.” These words caused tears to well up in my eyes, my skin turned blotchy pink, and I attempted to graciously accept the love. My ever-proud brother called me to tell me he felt proud of me. His approval of m

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(970) 353-0828