Hunter speaks with two strangers about their painful upbringings. Meet this episode's strangers: - Lisa Marie shares what it was like to hear the words, “We are going to have to put you into foster care,” at sixteen, and to be separated from her much younger brother, David. She talks about the memory holes trauma left behind, the rage that followed years later, and how she kept people at a distance for most of her early adulthood. Lisa Marie reflects on the shame of feeling marked by foster care, poverty, and her parents’ substance use, and how writing her story helped her reclaim it and let go of the “scarlet letter” she felt she wore. - Adriana, who became a mother at seventeen and found herself raising her baby in a women's shelter after being rejected by her family. She describes the shelter as an unexpected village of women supporting each other through crisis, and how that experience cemented her resolve never to ask for help again. Topics: - Childhood trauma and its impact on identity - Navigating the foster care system as a teen - Survival and sibling bonds after separation - Healing from parental abandonment and neglect - Transforming destructive rage into radical empathy - Reclaiming personal stories through writing - Teen motherhood and the NYC shelter system - Finding community and support in shelters - Breaking generational cycles of hardship - Building resilience and strength for children Chapters: 00:00:00 The parents we didn't choose 00:01:24 Entering the foster care system at sixteen 00:02:55 How childhood trauma creates memory holes 00:04:13 The pain of being separated from my brother 00:07:30 Using rage to protect myself from abandonment 00:12:11 Shedding the scarlet letter through writing 00:19:12 Choosing peace and forgiveness over rage 00:20:43 Anonymous notes on parental regret and support 00:22:10 Raising a child in a New York City shelter 00:26:38 Finding a supportive village in the Bronx 00:32:07 Using the shelter as a bridge to a career 00:44:16 Breaking the cycle and shaping the future Stories from a Stranger is produced by Rabbit Grin Productions in partnership with Higher Ground and AND Media. Music by Jackie Miclau. FOLLOW THE SHOW ►Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/storiesfromastrangerpod ►Threads: https://www.threads.com/@storiesfromastrangerpod ►Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/storiesfromastrangerpodcast FOLLOW HUNTER PROSPER ►Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/hunter_prosper/ ►TikTok: https://www.tiktok.com/@hunterprosper LISTEN ►Apple Podcasts: https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/stories-from-a-stranger/id1895174119 ►Amazon: https://music.amazon.com/podcasts/23b37bdf-ce71-4dad-9d25-9900b5d25d7c/stories-from-a-stranger ►Spotify: https://open.spotify.com/show/2naQZkPOvSgMzUMh9Z5ivs #FosterCare #TeenMotherhoodNYC #Healing #ShelterToStability #ChoosingForgiveness #ItTakesAVillage #Homelessness #SuperMom See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

Stories from a Stranger

HigherGround

S E4: Difficult Upbringings

JUN 1, 202645 MIN
Stories from a Stranger

S E4: Difficult Upbringings

JUN 1, 202645 MIN

Description

Hunter speaks with two strangers about their painful upbringings.Meet this episode's strangers:- Lisa Marie shares what it was like to hear the words, “We are going to have to put you into foster care,” at sixteen, and to be separated from her much younger brother, David. She talks about the memory holes trauma left behind, the rage that followed years later, and how she kept people at a distance for most of her early adulthood. Lisa Marie reflects on the shame of feeling marked by foster care, poverty, and her parents’ substance use, and how writing her story helped her reclaim it and let go of the “scarlet letter” she felt she wore.- Adriana, who became a mother at seventeen and found herself raising her baby in a women's shelter after being rejected by her family. She describes the shelter as an unexpected village of women supporting each other through crisis, and how that experience cemented her resolve never to ask for help again.Topics:- Childhood trauma and its impact on identity- Navigating the foster care system as a teen- Survival and sibling bonds after separation- Healing from parental abandonment and neglect- Transforming destructive rage into radical empathy- Reclaiming personal stories through writing- Teen motherhood and the NYC shelter system- Finding community and support in shelters- Breaking generational cycles of hardship- Building resilience and strength for childrenChapters:00:00:00 The parents we didn't choose00:01:24 Entering the foster care system at sixteen00:02:55 How childhood trauma creates memory holes00:04:13 The pain of being separated from my brother00:07:30 Using rage to protect myself from abandonment00:12:11 Shedding the scarlet letter through writing00:19:12 Choosing peace and forgiveness over rage00:20:43 Anonymous notes on parental regret and support00:22:10 Raising a child in a New York City shelter00:26:38 Finding a supportive village in the Bronx00:32:07 Using the shelter as a bridge to a career00:44:16 Breaking the cycle and shaping the futureStories from a Stranger is produced by Rabbit Grin Productions in partnership with Higher Ground and AND Media. Music by Jackie Miclau.FOLLOW THE SHOW►Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/storiesfromastrangerpod►Threads: https://www.threads.com/@storiesfromastrangerpod►Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/storiesfromastrangerpodcastFOLLOW HUNTER PROSPER►Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/hunter_prosper/►TikTok: https://www.tiktok.com/@hunterprosperLISTEN►Apple Podcasts: https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/stories-from-a-stranger/id1895174119►Amazon: https://music.amazon.com/podcasts/23b37bdf-ce71-4dad-9d25-9900b5d25d7c/stories-from-a-stranger►Spotify: https://open.spotify.com/show/2naQZkPOvSgMzUMh9Z5ivs#FosterCare #TeenMotherhoodNYC #Healing #ShelterToStability #ChoosingForgiveness #ItTakesAVillage #Homelessness #SuperMomSee Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.