Writing the Truth About My Life
By PIAZADORA FOOTMAN
Rise found me when I was just coming to the end of trying to prove to the State of New York that I was capable of taking care of my son. One day I got a call from Ms. Nora, the editor, saying that she would like to put my story in a magazine. My first thought was, “This lady has the wrong number,” but it turned out that my lawyer had given out my number. Once I understood that Rise supports parents who are fighting to get their children home from foster care, I said that I would love to write my story. “Can you come to my office?” Ms. Nora asked me. “I don't have a babysitter,” I said. “No problem,” she told me. “I'll come to you.”
A week later, Ms. Nora came to my house and I told her about some of my experiences as a parent with a mental illness and a son who’d gone into foster care. Then we began to create a storyline to help me begin my first article—for Rise’s issue on the experiences of parents with mental illness. I felt nervous and excited that someone would want me to write about what I thought was a horrible past. I was happy to realize that my story could help someone else through her own tough situation.
All through the spring I worked on my story, and when I got a copy of the magazine in the mail last summer, I felt like I’d gotten a check for a million dollars. It felt good to see my name printed above my words. I ran right outside to my daughter’s father and made him read my story with me. He was so proud of me. Then I called my grandma and my 9-year-old daughter and said, “I'm a writer now.” “Finally you’ve gotten something good out of something negative,” my grandma said.
Rise has brought me into a circle of women from all different backgrounds and of all ages. Now I go to Rise’s monthly Editorial Board meetings for parent staff. Listening to the other parents at Editorial Board meetings, I hear all sides of the story. I’ve started to understand more about how my own actions affected my loved ones. These conversations have brought me so much enjoyment and understanding. Writing for Rise gives me a feeling of belonging to something important and productive. I am a stay-at-home mom of three but I can say I have a part-time job of learning about the child welfare system and writing the truth about my life.
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