FIRE IN HER EYES PODCAST
A podcast about women who persevered! Stories and conversations with and about resilient women.
FIRE IN HER EYES PODCAST
Resilience Redefined: Mia Odeh's Story
In this powerful episode of "Fire in Her Eyes," we hear the harrowing yet inspiring story of Mia Odeh. From her early life in Palestine to overcoming unimaginable hardships in a foreign land, Mia's journey is one of resilience, courage, and transformation. Join us as she shares her path from survival to empowerment, and how she turned her struggles into strength. This episode contains sensitive content; please listen with care.
TRIGGER WARNING: This episode contains discussions about domestic violence and sexual assault, which may be distressing for some listeners. Please listen with care.
Note: Mia's story reflects her personal experience and should not be used to generalize or stereotype any culture or faith community
Before we begin, I want to offer a content warning. In this episode, my guest, Mia Ode, shares her personal story of surviving rape and physical violence. The conversation is deeply honest and may be difficult for some listeners to hear. Please take care of yourself as you listen. Step away if you need to, or come back when you feel ready. I also want to remind everyone that this is Mia's individual story. It does not represent the experiences of all Muslim or Arab women. Every story is unique. And Mia's courage in telling hers is an invitation to empathy, not to assumption. Thank you for listening with compassion and respect. Hello and welcome to Fire in Her Eyes. This is a podcast about women who persevered through pain to find peace and purpose. So if you're looking for a little inspiration and motivation to sustain you through difficult times, join us as we share stories of women who were empowered through pain and transform struggles into sweet success. I'm your host, Tanya Skaransky. Born in Palestine as the youngest of 13 children, Mia Ode's life took a dramatic turn at 16 when she was married off to a man more than twice her age. She was uprooted from her home and brought to Arizona, where years of abuse and isolation followed. Through moves across continents, raising children in the midst of violence and enduring betrayals that stole nearly everything she had, Mia's spirit never stopped dreaming of freedom. In secret, she studied English, saved what she could, and envisioned a life where she and her children could live with dignity and hope. That vision eventually became reality. Today, Mia is not only a mother of six, but she is pursuing her dreams, thriving in a senior management role, and building a future she once only could dream of. Her story is one of unimaginable hardship, but also of courage, tenacity, transformation, and perseverance. I am so grateful to welcome Mia Ode. Mia, welcome.
SPEAKER_02:Thank you, Tania. Thank you for having me. Appreciate it.
SPEAKER_01:Can you take us back to your childhood and Palestine? What was life like before your marriage was arranged?
SPEAKER_02:So I was born and raised in Palestine. I came from a big family. I have eight sisters and four brothers. We were in a culture we were, as a female, we were not really accepted because we're females. We're not loved as much and we're not treated equally as boys. And things were in general harder for us. We cannot eat what we want, we cannot go hang out with friends, we're not allowed to go out without our permission. Everything is forbidden for us, but the boys are allowed to do whatever they want.
SPEAKER_01:So at 16 you became a child bride. How did you process that moment? And what were your feelings as you left home? Can you take us back to that moment when the arrangement was being made for you to marry this man who was more than twice your age?
SPEAKER_02:I remember on uh one day it was toward the end of the day where a man and two women walked into my family's house. And uh, my mom asked me to get dressed and walk into the room and not speak at all. I did walk in and he was sitting there and he was glaring at me in an uncomfortable way, and I was not allowed to talk, and I was really nervous. And after a few minutes, my mom asked me to leave the room, and uh a couple days later she handed me money and she told me that I am his fiance, and that's the money that I'm supposed to go buy, uh, my engagement dress and some gifts to get ready to be his wife.
SPEAKER_01:So couldn't you say no? I I don't want to marry this man, I'm too young, this isn't what I want.
SPEAKER_02:I mentioned that to her, and she said your your opinion does not matter. It is done, and he is here to visit for one week, and you don't have time, and it is not up to you. You are his wife right now, as in everybody's eyes.
SPEAKER_01:Wow. So you get engaged, and how soon after that did you get married?
SPEAKER_02:A year. It was a time where he left Palestine and he went back to Arizona, he worked on the visa, he bought a house. It took about a year, and we were in communication back and forth between him and my family. And when he would call to talk to me, my mom would force me to tell him that I love him, that I miss him, and I cannot wait to be his wife and go be with him.
SPEAKER_01:But he must have known that you couldn't possibly love him, you didn't even know him, this wasn't your choice. So he wasn't actually believing your words. He must have known that you were just being told what to say.
SPEAKER_02:Knowing him after a while, I don't think that ever mattered to him because he admitted to me later that he does not love me and he will never love me. And I am just a property to him.
SPEAKER_01:So was he marrying you?
SPEAKER_02:To serve him.
SPEAKER_01:Okay.
SPEAKER_02:And he he said that straight to serve him. I didn't marry you to love you.
SPEAKER_01:Wow. So right after you got married, you were moved across the world from Palestine to Arizona and then to Qatar. What were those early years with your husband like?
SPEAKER_02:I remember my wedding day. It's like my soul was hovering over the the wedding. It's like I was dead and I was watching my own self. I can barely feel myself. It's like when you die and you just see your body on the table and you're just dead. That's how I felt. When I came first to Arizona, being with him across the world, away from my family. I couldn't speak English. I was scared of everything. The environment looked different, and being with him, I couldn't even reach out to him for comfort because I was scared of him too. So we were in Arizona for a while. Do I mention that's the physical part? Yes. It's really brutal. It's okay. So where I come from, we don't talk a lot about sexual and intimacy and physical things. So we never really got comfortable with that, not even in school. So when we got married and we came to Arizona, and every time he would come physically close to me, I would start screaming and crying. And he would get mad at me and he would just stop. And then the following day would he would try again. And one day, at the end of the day, he forced me on the floor and put porn on TV, something that I never witnessed before, never seen. I come from a small area, we never heard of anything like that. And after that, he got on the phone and talked to his brother in the United Emirates, and he told him every time I touched her, she would start screaming and crying, and I don't want to get in trouble. To me, I would not understand why he would get in trouble because where I come from, a man can do whatever he wants and he will never get in trouble. To hear him that, I was confused, but at the same time, I was so nervous and I was focusing on what is he gonna do to me. So his brother on the phone told him, beat her up and get whatever you want out of her. That is your wife, it is her duty to obey you. And he got off the phone and he threw me on the couch and tied my arms and legs and forced himself on me. And when he got done, he made sure that I was bleeding after that. And he called my mom and he told her she's innocent, she's virgin. Got off the phone, and when he got done, he told me, see, you should have listened to me from the beginning. And he told me, Okay, now you can get up. And um we were there probably for like a year. I got pregnant with my first baby, and I lost the baby. And I got repregnant again with my oldest son. In March 1996, we moved to Qatar. I had the rest of my kids, and there was a there was a lot of abuse going on. There is no law to protect the woman over there. There is like you can never reach out to anybody. I reach out for my family, they're against the divorce. To them, I'm his wife. I'm supposed to do whatever he asks, even if he hurts me and the kids. It didn't matter how much I reached out. My mom would even trick me to get on the phone just to yell at me to obey him even more. Went through everything. Between one house to another, he would move from, you know, job, the same job, but we moved a lot. I never got the right to ask him questions, I never got the right to watch whatever we want. We're constantly nervous. We lived on eggshells our entire life. He would abuse his kids, he would abuse me, he would force himself sexually on me all the time, 14 years. He never respected anybody in the house. And he would tell me, You are my property, you are, I didn't marry you to love you. You're here to serve me, to give me sex, to cook, to clean, and to give me family, which is it's confusing because he doesn't even care about his kids. And he at one point one day, and I kind of thought about it, and I, with all the struggles that I went through with him being abused physically, verbally, mentally, emotionally, and sexually, and I thought, what if I live for another 50 years and I'm stuck with that, man, and I have to live 50 years going through all that again. So I tried to commit a suicide. And I ended up in the hospital because the kids came back from school, and I'm looking at them and I thought about it really quickly right then and there, and I started feeling the discomfort in my body. If I die, they have nobody, they have zero connection with him, they have he have no feelings for those kids. So I rushed to the hospital and they helped me out, and he found out, and he came and he dragged me out of the hospital without before even the doctor finished the treatment.
SPEAKER_01:Was this an qatar or an aerosol?
SPEAKER_02:It wasn't cutter. And uh I just I regret taking that move just because I didn't want to leave my kids behind because I know they're gonna get lost. And uh after that we moved back to Arizona, and uh the physical abuse stopped, but the verbal and mental and emotional abuse was still there, and uh him forcing himself on me sexually was still there, and I kind of didn't figure out, I couldn't understand like why did he stop beating me up? And uh in January 2006, we started having the cops getting called uh to come to the house for help.
SPEAKER_01:And who was calling the cops?
SPEAKER_02:My my kids called the cops one time, and then one time they reached out to the neighbors and told them what's going on.
SPEAKER_01:Wow. And uh So did the police arrest him?
SPEAKER_02:He did get arrested uh for one night uh for domestic abuse, and but he did get released the following day. And um during one of the uh visits from the cops, he told me that you know in this country you have the right to say no, to walk away, you're gonna be okay if you leave. And we're not telling you that's what you should do, but we're opening your eyes that you can do something about it because we're here often, and it doesn't look like you guys are working things out. And uh I told him, but I'm scared if I leave, he told me the the state will take your kids and they will sell them and we'll make money off of them.
unknown:Oh my god.
SPEAKER_02:One of my biggest things in life, I don't want ever to lose my kids. And I'm sure after me learning everything, I knew he was using that to keep me with him. And I mentioned that to the police, and they said that's that doesn't work. As long as you take good care of your kids and you provide everything for them that they need, they should be okay now that you know, and it's up to you what you want to do. That's something I never learned before. So they did open up my eyes. They are a big part of me taking the first step, as long as I knew my kids are gonna be with me. I took my kids that day and we left. We ended up at McDonald's, and then from there we had to go back home to the house because I didn't know at that time what I was gonna do. I had no family, I didn't have enough money, I didn't know my way around. I was new in Michigan.
SPEAKER_01:So you had moved from Arizona to Michigan at that point.
SPEAKER_02:So did you speak English then? No, when I first came to the country, I did not speak one word in English. And when we went back to Qatar and came back, I got better, but I was not strong enough to work like in American places where I'm comfortable and able to kind of have a good conversation where I can earn income. So I always like and for like smaller restaurants and family setting because I'm a mom and I thought it would help me more if I need to be going back to take care of my kids, you know, after I get out of school. Right. And uh so when we went back home to him, and he was acting really, really mean in a way where like I told him, Look, that's not really fair how you treat everybody. And uh he said, Oh, you think you can tell me what's fair, what's not fair? You're starting to learn a lot more than what I want you to know. I think it's time for you to go back home.
unknown:Wow.
SPEAKER_02:So he said, I need to work on, you know, the paperwork and to send you back home, and then I'll work here and I'll come and visit, and one day I'll just come back home for good. So I had to think really, really fast at that time. I'm like, I told him, okay, I'm okay with that. I can go back home, but I do need to go shopping for things that you said you're gonna build a home for me, and I need to buy things from here that I saw that I really like to put in my new home. He said, Okay, we can do that. I was buying myself some time. I was trying to figure out like, okay, what do I need to do? I had zero knowledge on how to live in America. And um, so one day I went back to the out. I took the kids and we went to go get a few things, including groceries. I came back and he was in a really bad mood. And uh he started cornering me and yelling at me in the basement. His oldest son was trying really hard to move him away from me. And then that's when he reached out to the neighbors and he told them, Look, my dad is beating my mom. Please, can you help us out? So they let him use the phone to call the cops. How old was he at the time, your oldest son? Uh I would say he's like probably about eight years old, eight, nine. And I had like five. I had five kids by the age of twenty-five. Wow. And uh the cops showed up, and that's the night when he got arrested, and he came the following day. And uh we never went back. I remember when I left the house for good, he gave us ten dollars. But his reason of giving me ten dollars is to keep me close.
SPEAKER_01:So where did you go when you left?
SPEAKER_02:We went to McDonald's. I bought the kids uh burgers in one fries, and there was five of them. And ten dollars does not give you a lot. So they shared it, and I'm sitting there and I'm nervous because I know he's waiting for me, because he said be back by six on the phone. And then I'm looking at the time, and I it was almost six, not enough time to drive back home and be home by six. So it did hit six o'clock, the kids are looking at me, I'm looking at them, and I'm looking at the time, and I'm really nervous. And I remember it was the end of the day, and I said to myself, Well, I guess I gave myself a birthday gift. That was in January.
unknown:Wow.
SPEAKER_02:That was around my birthday, and I never got a birthday gift before ever. And then from there I had a few dollars with me, and we went to a motel that was just down the road. Because like I said, I didn't know my way around, so I stayed close because I didn't know. The kids showered and we were sitting down, they were watching TV, and the phone rang from the front desk and they said, There is a man here, he's saying he is your husband. Thomas How does he look like? So they described him, and then turned out to be him. So I told him, don't let him back. So I hung up the kids. I've never seen the kids move so fast. They picked up their shoes in their hand, and everybody got in the car. And as I'm leaving the hotel park a lot, he was driving toward the back. So I stopped and he stopped. I rolled my window down and he told me, shame on you, you're embarrassing. Go back home. I told him, okay, I will. So I was my car is pointing toward the leaving the park a lot. So I left and I went toward the police station. And then from there I don't know where he went. I told him what's going on. I told him I just checked into the motel room and I don't have a lot of money to keep moving. I need your help. So they came with me, they got the money, and they moved me to a different hotel, and he followed over there. So they arrested, they put him in the police car to hold him down until I can go back to the house to get some clothes. And we did that and they brought me back. And uh the following day they came back to the hotel to give me direction to go to the safe house.
unknown:Wow.
SPEAKER_02:And uh from there, like a whole new journey going through the divorce and the custody. He worked really hard on trying to bribe the kids with money to go against me in court, have great kids. They they can they witnessed everything, how he was his relationship with him and how he treats everybody, and how him just opening the garage door puts the fear in their stomach. And uh we went through the divorce, and I got the kids full custody, and he was only allowed to see them if he have supervised visitation and he had to go to therapy, and then after that the court have to approve him to see the kids.
SPEAKER_01:Were you afraid for your safety even though you had full custody? I'm I'm listening to your story thinking, could he kidnap them? Could he show up? Could he hurt me? Could he kill me? So, how did you navigate through that?
SPEAKER_02:Living in fear every single day. I remember one of the apartments when I moved into after the the divorce, I had my doorknob was broken into. So I'm not sure if it was him. I'll probably because he kept trying to convince me to go back home. But did I live in fear? Yeah, was I worried all the time that if I drop when I drop off the kids to school, is he gonna go pick them up and I'm never gonna see them again? It was definitely a lot of weird uh worry and fear every single day for my safety and for them.
SPEAKER_01:So, how are you managing rebuilding your own life? I shouldn't say rebuilding because you had never had the chance to build your own life up to that point. So, how do you build your own life when you've never been independent and now you're trying to be independent and self-sufficient while you're a single parent, while you're looking over your shoulder, living in fear? Can you share with us a little bit about what that building process looked like?
SPEAKER_02:Well, one thing I wanted to learn is really who I am, because where I grew up and I got married early, and I lived in that kind of same situation as I grew up in abuse, and I'm a female, I am not allowed to express my feelings, I'm not allowed to love and be loved. So I had to sit and learn who I am. What do I like? What do I not like? Like learn, figure out myself who I am, even as I was a kid, because I never had that either. And I believe in like, don't ever stop asking questions, don't ever stop trying, because imagine if you stop swimming in the middle of the water, you're gonna sink. So I never stopped asking questions from police stations to programs to churches to trying to figure out where I can work, where I can provide good money for my family to support them, to where can I better myself. My main my main focus a lot, like for 20 years after my divorce, was really making sure my kids are fed and they go to school and they got everything that they that they need. It wasn't like what they want because I I was only providing it for them like the bare minimum. Because that was all I can do. I did not finish school here, so my income was really small. And after he left and went back overseas after the divorce, everything was cut off insurance and child support. So my income was very, very tight. I have to budget every bite we eat, every bill. My life, I always describe it to the guy that wrote my book. My life was like pasta that's cooked. When you pick it up in your hand, there's constantly, if you pick up one piece, put it back, another one slips or two or three. So I lived like that for really 25 years after my divorce.
SPEAKER_01:You created the list of bold goals in 2019. Can you share with us some of these goals, what they were, and how they changed your path?
SPEAKER_02:Well, I wanted to be independent when I got that, and I got the best kids that God ever could give. I'm very grateful. I went back to school and I took uh classes for criminal justice. So during that time, I was actually homeless and I was working 12 hours and I took classes and I was on the honor list in Schoolcraft College in Michigan. And I accomplished that, and I was driving my kids back and forth to school, and I accomplished that, and I wanted to be a businesswoman, and I am halfway there, I'm working on that. I am a part owner in an amazing restaurant in Michigan. And um my kids are where they are wanting to be. My oldest son is uh a sheriff, uh, my other son is a Marine, my daughter is a social worker. I also have another Marine. One of my daughters is a mechanic, and my youngest daughter is she's 18 and she's a firefighter.
SPEAKER_01:How proud are you?
SPEAKER_02:I am I am beyond proud. Like I cannot stop talking about my kids because you know what? When we left the house, I told him when we go up, we go up together. If we go down, I'm going down with you. We're we're by each other's side.
SPEAKER_00:In typical mom fashion, I ask you, how proud are you? You assume I'm talking about your children. I'm talking how proud are you of yourself?
SPEAKER_01:You came here, didn't speak a word of English, had no idea what your rights were to be abused so horrifically, not just the physical damage, but the emotional, the psychological, the mental damage it causes, and the way you rose through that, the way you saved yourself, and you saved your children. I can only imagine that every decision, every choice, every challenge that was overcome was inspired by your love for your children.
SPEAKER_02:Everything I do is for them. Every day I wake up till today, they're all grown up and independent. Every day I give up. I am very proud. And one thing I could say, don't ever give up on yourself because you deserve to be happy, you deserve to thrive, and you deserve to be loved and treated with respect and honor, and don't let anybody tell you otherwise. And don't ever give up on yourself.
SPEAKER_01:How do you heal? I don't know that it's honestly possible to heal. I I'm a firm believer in counseling, but I feel that for me at least, you don't really heal. You grow to gain understanding, to process, to learn valuable lessons from those experiences, but I think they somehow remain with you and they're a part of your fabric. In my conversation with you earlier today, before we recorded the podcast, I was amazed at the way you smile with such joy that you have such excitement in your voice. You are such a go-getter. You've got this amazing entrepreneurial spirit. I I always question myself when I'm gonna make a decision. I second guess. I I weigh the risks, and the benefits, the risks of my mind always feel greater than the benefits I'm afraid of feeling, and what would happen? You, you, you just keep going, and you have so much energy and so much courage and so much drive, and you don't even let the risks rattle you. You're just full steam ahead, and you're so kind and you're so positive, and you have such a hunger for life. How are you that way having endured such horrific things? Not just you, but you witnessed your children go through that. What makes you persevere? What makes you so resilient?
SPEAKER_02:Well, the pain and the suffering that you went through, I don't think that you could really ever kind of like get rid of that. That's part of who you are. It built you to be strong. It's not fair. Nobody should ever be treated like that. But it happened to you. Don't give up for that, don't let that consume you and take over your life. It will be there. There's some days where a lot harder than others where you feel insecure, where you feel like you're you're not worthy of love. But and it will come up. Some days are really hard and some things are triggering. But think about it, let it go and get up and keep moving because you don't want to keep living that life. It's done, you can't change that. It happened. Now you're strong, and you know what how you do not want anybody to treat you. And every single day I don't give up. And I always said to people, like, when I keep going to places to reach out for help when I was going through all that, when I kind of leave them alone for a little bit, I say, I'm just giving you a break from me, but I will be back. I'm not done. I'm gonna keep trying. And that's how I live every single day. I want to be happy, I want to be there for my family, I want them to be happy, and I want to be successful because I want to return the favor to everybody that helped me, and I want to be there for others. When you go through that and you come across someone that went through that, your heart goes out to them because you know how they're feeling. And one time I heard something online where it says you can't change the world, but you can change someone's world. And it is really true. So, what you learned and how you survived, talk about it and help us someone else because sometimes and a lot of times they're really scared to open up about that. And talk about it because they're scared. Well, like, what if he comes back after me and I'm gonna get hurt? What if I can't get away and then my life is even worse? I thought of that. But when I left, I couldn't even see straight in front of me. Like it's not like I had a plan where I'm going. I was new here. I couldn't even understand the roads and where it's going where. But I did it anyways. So take it day by day, meal by meal. That's how I lived for so many years. Meal by meal. I wasn't I didn't even have enough for the next day. I was constantly struggling with paying this bill, balance that one, uh, push that one, get on the phone, give yourself a few days, work here, go clean someone's house, go do whatever. Just keep going, keep pushing. Don't ever stop swimming. And even when you get out of that, relax a little bit, but still don't ever give up on yourself and don't give up on the people you love. And be there to help out someone that went through the same thing.
SPEAKER_01:I'm so amazed by your tenacity. You've got this hunger for life, you're fierce, you're determined. Um, nothing is gonna stop you. When you set a goal, you work towards it, and you don't let bumps in the road discourage you or deter you from achieving your goal. It's truly amazing.
SPEAKER_02:Yeah, if they slow you down, that's okay. Let them slow you down, but get up again and keep going. I'm not even done. When you get all your goals done, then build more on that and keep going.
SPEAKER_01:So, looking back, what do you wish people understood better about domestic abuse?
SPEAKER_02:That it's not okay. And when you witness somebody's going through that, be there for them because you know in your heart it's not okay. Imagine if someone that you love is going through that. You want to help them. We all gotta work together.
SPEAKER_01:For women listening who feel trapped in a situation that feels impossible, what would you say to them?
SPEAKER_02:I would say I know it's very scary to take the first step up in there. It is terrifying because you don't know where you're gonna end up. But if you don't take that first step, you're not gonna, you're not gonna leave. You're gonna stay stuck. And once you do, don't look back, just keep going. And every day, it doesn't have to be perfect. Day by day, minute by minute, you can't get it all done at the same time. Because when you go through a lot, half of the time you really have a lot of anxiety or fear. Don't let that stop you. Take the first step, keep going, and don't give up. And always remember that you deserve to be loved and treated right. If I can do it and I came from a background where I went through a lot of abuse, me just being as a female, I came to a foreign country, I didn't speak English, I would get scared if somebody knocks on the door, I would hide in the closet and I start crying. Now, if I can do it, anybody can do it. I promise anybody can do it. It's not easy. I'm not gonna say it was easy, it was really hard. But look where it got me.
SPEAKER_01:What does freedom and empowerment mean to you now? And what would you say to those people who stepped up and helped you? Whether it was neighbors or people who gave you opportunities or somebody who might have helped you with your children, what would you say to them? And how do you feel about freedom and empowerment?
SPEAKER_02:I am very grateful to be where I am today, and I'm very grateful to be able to be free to speak my mind and to acknowledge that I have feelings, considering that I never was allowed to speak that before. I didn't even know what feelings are. But now, after my divorce, I was able to express my feelings, I was able to teach myself what's okay for me, what's not. And also helped my kids to witness all that and to grow and to learn and to for them to be able to fight for themselves and do right by themselves. And to everybody that came into my life, I am very grateful. They are part of my journey and they are part of where I am here today, and those people are considered like family to me. Even if I never see them again, they are like family to me. I'm grateful till the day I die.
SPEAKER_01:What is your one wish for your children after all the hardship that they have endured?
SPEAKER_02:I wish nothing but the best for them. I wish them happiness, health, safety, fulfillment, and joy and blessing. I want them to have the best life that God could ever give. Forever. They're my top, top goal every single day. I'm so proud of them. I look at them and it's hard to believe that those are mine. I'm so proud of them. I can't ask God for better.
SPEAKER_00:I don't know your children, but it's not hard for me to believe that they are yours.
SPEAKER_01:And how wonderful that so many of them chose careers serving others. It's a reflection of who you are: your selflessness, your strength, your resilience. And I have no doubt, despite the trauma that they endured, you have empowered them beautifully to get through life storms. You really are an amazing mom. Thank you. A human being.
SPEAKER_02:I remember, I know we talked about this when my son was about seven, eight years, he was working on solving a math problem and he couldn't understand it. When he was reaching out to help me, to help him. And I'm not good in math, I admit that. I'm so bad at it, it's not even fair. It's really bad. So his father heard him talking about it. But my son didn't want his dad to help him because it always ended up in him being abused. So he got up and he cornered his son. My ex-husband was like six foot two, and probably was almost 300 pounds. And his son was like early elementary. So he got up and cornered him and he abused him and he told him, I'm sorry for my language. He told him, You're an idiot, you're a loser, you're never gonna amount to anything. That my son was, like I said, seven or eight years old. And he let all that go for all those years. And when my son graduated the police academy, I remember I pinned the badge on his chest. And when they marched out back to the lobby, he came back and he put his arms around me. And he told me, see, mom, I am not stupid and I am not a loser, and I am, I did mount to something. Him and now, him being a police officer, he always considers other people's struggle when he goes, he remembers every domestic call, he remembers his father, and he will always do handle the situation in a fair way. My other daughter, she's a social worker when we were homeless, and we had a social worker, and she said, Mom, it's time to return the favor. I have great kids, they're all working in the service and to help out. They wear their heart under sleep, considering everything that they went through, and they told me one thing we learned from him is never to be like him.
SPEAKER_01:These are such beautiful full circle moments that I hope can help you look back and make sense of all that you've endured, lessen the sharpness of the pain, and make you so very proud of these human beings that will forever be your greatest legacy.
SPEAKER_02:And Father's Day, they never had the father figure. My kids will tell me, Happy Father's Day, mom. I know it's you're you're not a male, but you've been mom and dad our whole life. Thank you so much. You're welcome. I'm honored to be here, and I hope whoever is listening always remember: if I can do it, you can do it. And it's not easy, but if you don't start, you're not gonna get there.
SPEAKER_01:Thank you for sharing not only your story of hardship, but even more importantly, your story of resilience and perseverance. You've given us a reminder that even in the darkest situations, courage can grow quietly, and transformation is very much possible. To our listeners, may Mia's journey inspire you to honor your own strength, to support those who feel unseen, and to believe that change, no matter how impossible it may seem, is within reach. Mia has proven that time and time again. This has been Fire in Her Eyes. Until next time, keep rising, keep believing, and keep the fire alive. You have it in you. Thank you for spending time with me today. If you enjoyed this content, please make sure you subscribe to this podcast and leave a quick review to help us share the message.