Trauma Mamma Heaven

Since I want to start services for families dealing with attachment disorder in this area, I have started doing a lot more research on the web. I'm getting some good "info" from the scholared experts, but you just can't beat learning from a first hand trauma mamma. I've followed several blogs for awhile now, but I add a few more "gotta reads" almost every day. I like me some "RAD Dads," but mothers of attachment challenged children are phenomenal!! Even when they "suck," they rock. Just the fact that they drag themselves out of bed every morning and survive to crawl back in bed at night is a feat unto itself. I am a trauma mamma. By that very admission, I am a woman of incredible strength, charecter, love, creativity, and spirit. I may not feel that way even half of the time, but I am. I can slap any derrogatory discription I can think of on myself, but they cannot outshine the qualities I posess simply because I am a trauma mamma.

I wish that I could reach through the computer and hug each and every mother who parents trauma. I wish I could tell them how incredible they are and that no matter how much it stinks to have to go through it, they are such a gift. I have learned so much just from reading about their lives. Oh, how I long to meet some of these special women in person, just to bask in their wonderfulness.

Ask and ye shall recieve!! For the past two years, there has been a retreat in Orlando, Florida for mothers of traumatized children. Since neither my husband nor I work, I never even dared to dream about going. On one of the blogs I follow, there was an application for a scholarship to attend the third annual retreat in Orlando. I never thought I could ever qualify, but I figured, "What the heck," so I applied. A day later, I found out that I had been accepted. All I need to do is come up with the airfare, and the first weekend in March, I am Orlando-bound. To say that coming up with the transportation money is going to be easy would be a lie, but I'm going to get it if I have to add on to my student loan to do it. I'm even learning to hoop and training for the 5k fun run. I feel guilty spending money we could use for food or bills on myself, or taking time away from my kids, when doing so will cause major upsets, behaviors, and meltdowns (oh, my!) I keep thinking that I am so selfish for even thinking about going. Then I look in the mirror and say, "you gorgeous mamma. You so deserve to go to Orlando and spend time with the most incredible women on this planet." Hey! I have until March to start believing it. Got my sunblock and my shades-- let the basking begin!!