Welcome to the Wild and Free podcast, episode 74.

I'm Ainsley Arment, and this week we're talking with our beloved friend, Sally Clarkson,

about finding friends in a new place and giving our children a safe space to express their big emotions without fear of being unloved.

I had determined my grid was to love them well,

provide joy in their lives,

and for me to grow in the direction of being patient and mature

so that they could expect that from me.

Plus, we'll share an exciting update

about our nature journaling course by Kristen Rogers.

So grab a cup of coffee and join us on the front porch.

Let's get started.

The idea of family is a promised land of sorts. From the time I was a little girl, I've wanted one

of my very own. Whether it was forming a family from scratch, gathering a group of friends, or

providing for a passel of foster kids, families are at the heart of every dream I've ever had for my

life. But having a healthy family has proved tougher than it

looks. Perhaps because they're so easily thwarted by failed marriages, societal influences,

and pressure on our kids to grow up too fast. Not to mention our own sets of baggage, childhood

trauma, and downright flawed humanity. My grandmother had three

husbands by the time I was born, abandoned by one, abused by another. And my own parents

divorced when I was 14. And my own marriage brought me dreadfully close to the same fate

before going through a redemptive transformation. I have experienced firsthand what

happens when families fall apart. In all reasonable respects, I should have given up on my dream

...