{"id":5211,"date":"2024-10-22T16:49:17","date_gmt":"2024-10-22T16:49:17","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/sciencesandnatures.com\/?p=5211"},"modified":"2024-10-22T16:49:18","modified_gmt":"2024-10-22T16:49:18","slug":"her-husband-used-to-beat-her-frequently-so-she-took-her-children-and-ran-away-from-home-she-had-nowhere-to-stay-and-not-much-money-so-she-decided-to-build-a-house-with-her-own-hands-only-her-child","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/sciencesandnatures.com\/her-husband-used-to-beat-her-frequently-so-she-took-her-children-and-ran-away-from-home-she-had-nowhere-to-stay-and-not-much-money-so-she-decided-to-build-a-house-with-her-own-hands-only-her-child\/","title":{"rendered":"Her husband used to beat her frequently, so she took her children and ran away from home. She had nowhere to stay and not much money, so she decided to build a house with her own hands. Only her children helped her. All the neighbors laughed at her. Then they saw what she had accomplished and were amazed."},"content":{"rendered":"\n
When life gives you lemons, make lemonade, they say. Well, we are all well aware that this is something better said than done, but the truth is that when we put our mind to something and work really hard for it, nothings is impossible.\n\n\n\n
Cara Brookins found herself in an abusive marriage. Being a mom of five, she knew she needed to save her children from the toxic environment they were forced to live in, so she left her husband, took her kids with her, and built herself a new home from scratch.\n\n\n\n
How she did it? By drawing construction plans all by herself and watching YouTube videos that taught her how to lay a foundation, build a wall, run a gas line, and install plumbing, among other building techniques.
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At the time she started building her family\u2019s new home in 2007, Cara, who worked as a computer programmer analyst, couldn\u2019t afford to buy a home that would be comfortable enough for all of her children, and that\u2019s when she came up with the idea to build it from the ground up.\n\n\n\n
\u201cIt felt like, \u2018If anyone were in our situation, they would do this,\u2019\u201d Cara said. \u201cNo one else saw it like this, and in retrospect, I realize it sounds insane.\u201d\n\n\n\n
Her kids, with the oldest being 17 at the time and the youngest one just 2, got involved in the building of their 3,500-square-foot home.\n\n\n\n
Her son Drew helped her with the creation of the plans, while 11-year-old Jada used buckets to transport water from the neighbor\u2019s pond, as there was no running water on-site. She then mixed it with 80-pound bags of concrete and formed the foundation mortar.\n\n\n\n
Every day after school, the kids would go to the site and help in the process. For the most demanding chores, this determined mother hired a part-time firefighter with building experience for $25 an hour. \u201cIn terms of knowledge, he was a step ahead of us,\u201d she recalled.\n\n\n\n It was on March 31, 2009 when the family finally moved to the Inkwell Manor, named in honor of Cara\u2019s dream of becoming a writer.\n\n\n\n \u201cWe were mortified that building our own shelter was our best alternative,\u201d Cara said. \u201cIt wasn\u2019t anything we were really proud of but it turned out to be the most beneficial thing I could have done for myself.\u201d\n\n\n\n \u201cIf I, a 110-pound computer programmer, can build an entire house,\u201d she said, \u201cyou can do anything you set your mind to.\u201d\n\n\n\n She then proceeded saying, \u201cDecide on a single aim and stick to it. Find that large thing you want to do, take tiny steps toward it, and bring along others who need to heal with you on the journey. There\u2019s a lot of power in that.\u201d\n\n\n\n Isn\u2019t this one of the most incredible stories you\u2019ve heard in a while?\n\n\n\n If you are as impressed by this family\u2019s determination as we are, please SHARE their incredible story with your family and friends on Facebook!\n\n\n\n
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