Testimony my story
From Isolation to Belonging: How One Mother Found Her Place Through Community
I’m a single mother who spent years feeling on the outside. I avoided school events and church because I felt judged and unwelcome. My children weren’t fully diagnosed until their teens and twenties; in the early years, we only knew about ADHD and some intellectual delays, so I learned as I went and often felt very alone.
I want you to imagine standing at the edge of a room full of people you don’t know. You can hear laughter and conversation, but every time you think about joining in, something holds you back. That was my life for a long time. I would drop my children off at school events or church and walk away because I felt like I didn’t belong. I wasn’t married. I had children out of wedlock. I felt judged—and I believed I didn’t deserve a place at the table.
The Struggle: What It Felt Like
Parenting felt like a private battle. My kids weren’t diagnosed until much later—first ADHD and some intellectual delays, and only in their teens and twenties did we learn about autism. Those early years were full of trial and error: appointments, therapies, explanations that didn’t fit, and the constant worry that I was failing them. Without a community, every setback felt like proof that I was alone in this.
The Turning Point: A Small Welcome
Everything shifted because of one small moment. My daughter Kaylee kept encouraging me to reach out. At first, I resisted—I would drop my girls off at church and leave—but then I went to a small gathering and met Kat and Andrew. They welcomed me without judgment. Their kindness was simple, but it cracked open something in me.
On my 47th birthday, I finally stepped inside the church and felt a peace I hadn’t known in years. That peace wasn’t just spiritual; it was the relief of being seen and accepted.
Joining MomCo and this circle of women changed my life. They helped me find my voice and my confidence. They listened when I needed to talk, offered practical help when I was overwhelmed, and celebrated the small victories with me.
Because of their support, I found the courage to write my story, publish books, and begin training as a life coach. I’m learning to use my experience to lift other women up so they don’t have to walk this path alone.
• An amazing group of women who sent meals after my emergency surgery.
• Women who read my drafts, encouraged me to publish, and cheered when my first book came out.
Sundays have become my reset days because of the love and acceptance I receive from this community.
These are not dramatic gestures—just steady, human acts that made the impossible feel possible.
Call to Heart: Why Community Matters
Community matters because motherhood is not meant to be a solo journey. When we connect, we share knowledge, reduce shame, and multiply courage.
I learned that asking for help is not weakness—it’s survival. The love and acceptance I found gave me permission to be myself again and to pursue dreams I thought were out of reach.
Closing: Invitation and Affirmation
If you are feeling isolated, know this: you are not meant to carry everything alone. A single welcome can change the course of a life.
I am living proof that community can heal, empower, and transform.
I am grateful for every person who reached out to me—and I am committed to reaching back, to help other women find their place at the table.
