We like to believe pain ends with one generation, that what a parent carries won’t find its way into their children’s lives. For two young sisters, the lingering pain their mother experienced daily filled up the quiet spaces, dictated what care looked like, and who offered it.
Most of their evenings were the same. Their grandmother tucked them in, and they fell asleep to the sound of the front door opening and closing. They were never sure if it meant their mom was coming or going for the night. They knew their mom loved them; of that, there was no question. But sometimes love doesn’t always look like staying. Sometimes it’s quiet days while mom rests, or loud laughter late at night. Regardless, two young sisters trusted their mom always to come home and learned to rely on their grandmother for nearly everything.
Rick and Lisa Bursey, Back2Back Linares Directors, share how their staff team met Monica* and her two young children at a critical point in their story. “She was overwhelmed and disconnected from her responsibilities as a mom. Her days were most often spent in bed as she battled depression with no relief, and her nights were filled with socializing outside the home. She showed very little interest in work or education, and she relied heavily on her girls’ grandmother, who carried most of the family responsibilities.
In addition to lingering trauma and unhealed patterns, the family faced an even bigger obstacle: the girls didn’t have birth certificates. In Mexico, obtaining a birth certificate is not automatic at birth; it requires the family to complete additional steps after their hospital stay. When families, like Monica’s, face poverty, lack documentation themselves, or cannot reach registration offices, children may go unregistered and remain without legal identity or access to education and healthcare. Knowing this, the staff team stepped in, helping Monica understand the importance of getting them, so her girls could succeed. Staff rallied around her, helping her with every step in the process.
After officially joining the Strong Families program, the girls enrolled in school, and the staff focused on building trust with the entire family. They encouraged Monica, empowering her to take on the responsibilities of adulthood and motherhood, even when they felt overwhelming.
“Progress moved slowly,” shared Lisa and Rick. “For every small step forward, it felt like there was always a large step back following behind. There were times we felt unsure if the program was what was best for her, but our team remained consistent, offering support and walking alongside the entire family.”
Her progress after two years may seem small on paper, but for Monica and her family, it was life-changing.
Investment in the Linares site means families like Monica’s have the support of Back2Back staff to steer focus toward healthy transitions and reinforce achievements. They offer praise for growing confidence, helping families see just what they are capable of accomplishing. With time, Monica and her family graduated as the first Strong Families Program Graduates.
Today, Monica considers the education, safety, and well-being of her daughters above all. She is showing up in ways she couldn’t before, leading her family, one decision at a time.
But it could have gone differently.
Her daughters could still be falling asleep to uncertainty, wondering if their mom would come home. They could be waiting still and adjusting, learning to rely on someone other than their mom. It was a story that could have easily been their legacy, but it didn’t.
A dedicated staff team and faithful advocates and donors stepped in, and a family wasn’t left to figure it out alone. Consistency met instability, and it stayed.
Today, Monica is still rewriting her story, and now, her daughters get to grow up inside a home and life that will help them flourish.
