Christmas is supposed to be the most anticipated time of year for children – a magical time, filled with love and family traditions. I never had a real Christmas before I came to the Ranch.
The holidays were the least of our concerns with my biological family. I had a history of being passed back and forth through the foster care system. My father passed away when I was 10, and my birth mother never really seemed to want me, offering at times, to hand me off to strangers. Luckily, one of these strangers, now known as my Mamamac, got involved in my life and helped get my brother and me to the Ranch.
I remember Mary Graham, my social worker at Big Oak, picking me up and bringing me to my new home. I thought it was going to be like an orphanage with rows of metal bunk beds and trunks at the ends. I never expected it to be a neighborhood of families. I never expected it to be home.
Christmas before Big Oak meant a few hand-me-down presents, and we did not really celebrate as a family. I got to experience my first real Christmas that year as an 11-year-old. Dave and Robin Bolin were my first houseparents. We bonded over Toby Mac’s music, so my favorite present that year was a CD player and a Toby Mac CD. Though they were my houseparents for only a short time, they made a lasting impact, and I have fond memories of Mom and Pop Bolin.
In 2006 Darin and Lisa Moseley became my houseparents. For more than seven years, they raised me, guiding and teaching me how to be a good, strong, Christian woman. After I graduated from college, I moved to South Alabama to be closer to them. Now at 27, though I live in Louisiana, I still cherish the holidays with them. They are my parents, my forever family, and they always will be.
Last year, while celebrating Christmas with my parents in South Alabama, I accidentally broke one of our family ornaments. I gathered up the pieces and lined them up like a puzzle so that I could glue them back together. Admiring the ornament, I reflected upon the many Christmases I have spent with my Big Oak family. Every year, we would get a new family ornament with each of our names on it. This family tradition saw some names change over the years, but my parents were always the constant.
While living at the Ranch, during the New Year’s holiday break, I would spend time with my resource parents, Paul and Carol Kennemur and Jeff and Holly Rowlen. They were always there for me, and they always counted me as part of the family. I still visit them as often as I can.
Although cliché, it is true that it took a village to raise and mold me into the person I am today. I am not done growing or learning. This village that is Big Oak Ranch continues to encourage and love me today. They saw me through my high school and college graduations. They celebrated with me when my heart soared and encouraged me when my heart broke.
I enjoy being a high school English teacher in Louisiana, and my students know my story. I want them to understand that you can make it through the obstacles that life may throw. Now, through my testimony, I can pass on the hope God has given me while encouraging others.
Thank you, Mom and Dad, for always being a constant in my life! Mamamac, I cannot begin to express my gratitude for all the ways you’ve helped me. Thank you, Mr. John, Mrs. Tee, Mrs. Mary and everyone at Big Oak Ranch for giving your time and effort to the boys and girls who call Big Oak Ranch home. I would not be where I am now without your love and support!