How do you discover your sense of belonging when your culture and background have been erased?

In this episode of About Your Mother, I’m joined by Brittany Penner, author of Children Like Us: A Métis Woman's Memoir of Family, Identity and Walking Herself Home. She shares her story of being adopted as an infant, the history of indigenous children being taken from their families in the Sixties Scoop, and her struggle with finding where she belongs.

Brittany also shares about her writing process, how writing her memoir changed her, and how she writes about traumatic experiences. You’ll love this honest conversation about rediscovering your roots and integrating each part of your identity into a whole person.

Resources Mentioned

• The Sixties Scoop
• Percentage of Indigenous Children in Foster Care in Manitoba
• 2021 Canadian Census Report
• Truth and Reconciliation Day

Connect with the Guest

• Brittany’s Book: Children Like Us

We've pulled a special episode from the vault for you to take a listen to! One of my favorite stories I've had the honor of sharing on About Your Mother, is that of Peter Mutabazi — a remarkable human being who survived a traumatic childhood, only to use that experience to transform lives.

This episode originally aired in May of 2021.

He ran away from an abusive father at the age of ten and was homeless on the streets for four years until a stranger asked him his name. That gesture changed his life forever. However, that isn't Peter's story. His story is so much more than that.

He has used his experience to lift the lives of those who need our help most. It started with global relief efforts, and now he has been a foster dad to sixteen kids. His mission is to make sure every child is known.

Prepare to be in awe of Peter Mutabazi: his courage, empathy, and will to change the lives of the four hundred thousand foster children in our system.

Joining me during this episode is my partner in Adoption/Foster Stories, Jeff Forney. If you want to learn more about Jeff's story and work, please listen to episode 010.

Connect with Peter
Website: NowIAmKnown.com
YouTube: @nowiamknown
Instagram: @fosterdadflipper
Facebook: fb/fosterdadflipper

Learn more about the podcast at byjennifergriffith.com/category/podcast

In honor of Valentine’s Day, my husband Mark joins this episode of About Your Mother for an honest conversation about messy and imperfect love. We’re sharing one of the most profound lessons about love we learned on a trip to France this summer, when a lovely Brazilian couple shared the secret to lasting love with us.

I’ll be honest: our marriage hasn’t always been easy - what union is? If you’ve been part of a blended family, your parents divorced, your mother was a tad crazy, or you’ve experienced sudden loss, this episode is for you.

Resources Mentioned

• Lean In by Sheryl Sandberg
• Grit by Angela Duckworth
• Both Sides of Then by Jennifer Griffith