Struggling Mom... still a loving mom

This is Talisa and her son Jamzen. I met them in a parking lot of a truck stop in Ohio.

When I first parked the bus near two older model RVs, one that looked abandoned and another that had some leaks and looked like whoever lived in it was trying to seal them up as best as possible, I thought to myself, wow I am really lucky, my bus is so nice. Not in a gloating type of way, but in an appreciative way.

When I got to the front door there was a young woman and a little boy entering the gas station and I noticed them, but did't engage.

After fueling up and grabbing some things I loaded back up and continued on my way. Less than 10 minutes down the road I got an email notification from Beautiful Strength org, which is rarely spam and it is usually an email I want to check. I briefly glanced at it and decided I was turning around. I KNEW it was this mom and little boy. I didn't even hesitate, where I was going could wait.

I got to spend about 30 min with these two. I got to hear Talisa's story about abusive relationships and fighting for custody of her kids. I learned about her past addictions, how they started, and what she is doing to keep herself clean. I also learned about her living situation and how her and her son are living in an RV in the parking lot of this gas station because she has no where else to go and she refuses to go back to her abusive situation. I learned how much she loves her son and how scared she is that anyone will take him away because of their situation, but how grateful she is to provide him with a safe home.

We talked about the difficulty of getting on your feet after a conviction, how paying off court fees is almost impossible, and how a drivers license provides so much freedom we take for granted. We talked about the hardships of living on the road, the lack of knowledge of maintenance and fixing things, but how each of us is a sponge and wants to learn.

I played with Jamzen as Talisa filled out her portrait and he is such a sweet kid. We made up games with toys I didn't have and colored super heroes. He's the politest little boy and she is a mom teaching her child how to respect others and also be a little kid. He even read my mom's children's book she wrote and he loved all the animals.

When we hugged to leave I asked her how she was handling this heat (It was 90+) and asked if they had any power source or air and she said no. They try to stay outside of the RV as much has possible during the day and sleep the best they can at night. I remembered I had a mini 12 v fan/cooler that was in my "return to Walmart" stack and offered her the fan. I had literally tried to return that thing 3 times and it slipped my mind each time... and now I knew why. It wasn't meant to be returned, it was meant to be given. She didn't have AC power, but she was able to use 12 volt and charge it.

I don't know Talisa's whole story. I will never know 100% of the details of anyone's story that I meet. I can only listen to what people tell me in front of me tell me, empathize, and offer a chance that people will hopefully feel validated and worthy and not judged. I also can learn from each person, that when I pass someone in a gas station in a run down RV... I have no idea what that person is fighting through just to live and survive. I have no right to judge that person or feel like I am better than them. I can open the door for strangers, and be polite, and smile, and wave at their kid, and I can be grateful for the people and situations in my life that have led me to who I am today while also lifting others up who may be on the road to healing, improving, and surviving.

None of our stories are exactly the same. But at the heart and soul of everyone I meet, I swear everyone is just trying to be their best and be happy. That looks different on everyone, but the core of humanity, I still think ,is to love and be loved in return.

If you would like to help support Talisa, here is her Linktree https://linktr.ee/talisafallon