When Cara Brookins got divorced from her abusive husband, she felt that she and her kids were so disheartened that she needed something to help them recover from the trauma they went through.
She said she wanted to do something big. She yearned to set a huge goal for her and her children to show them that they can accomplish any goal, no matter how seemingly impossible it is.
And that they did.
After the divorce, Cara and her children had to move into a small house in Arkansas. She said that because of what they have gone through, they didn’t even laugh together anymore.
But something changed the day they were driving to a cabin she rented for Thanksgiving. They found a home devastated by a tornado. Cara said that when she saw the house, she thought she can rebuild the walls is she truly put her heart into it.
She then realized that she can actually buy some construction supplies and an acre of the land if she sold the little property she owned and with the help of a construction loan. Unfortunately, the loan only covered construction supplies – which means she had to do the actual construction herself. She knew it wouldn’t be easy, especially that at the time, her children were so young; her eldest child being 17 years old and the youngest just two.
But her children didn’t let her down. They helped in every way they could.
So, together, they started building their house. And since they were clueless as to how to do it, they turned to Youtube. They watched video tutorials for knowledge. Cara said that because Youtube was not as advanced back then and they had no smartphones to watch the videos on site, they had to watch the tutorials the night before they go to the construction site and had to rely on their memory on how to do things right.
She was aware that it would not be easy, particularly that she had to comply with the conditions of the loan while working full time as a senior computer analyst. She also feared that her children would just suddenly realize they did not want to help building the house anymore.
For months, she and her family have had no chance to unwind; they put all their efforts into building their home.
But working together did not only help them build a new home to live in, it helped them rebuild their relationships. Cara said that they have began to communicate with each other again, that they have started to laugh together again.
To complete their home, a firefighter helped. A professional also took care of their HVAC systems and electrical needs. And, after nine months of working hard, their efforts finally paid off.
Cara shared her experience of getting back on her feet from all the hardships she has suffered through her book, “Rise”. The book is an inspiration for anyone about to give up and any person who has been a victim of domestic violence.
They say that you never know how strong you are until being strong is the only choice you have. Cara has shown incredible strength when she decided to go through with what seemed like an un-achievable goal. She didn’t just built her children a new and better home, more importantly, she taught them how to be strong.