Stories of Hope

At 20 years old, Arraya has lived through more trauma than most people face in a lifetime. Arraya was born in Oklahoma to a mother who abandoned her as a newborn. Her father abused her. By the time Arraya was…

A couple weeks ago, I wrote about the importance of building trust with each child who comes to Dakota Boys and Girls Ranch. My point was that trust is the foundation of the healing journey for these precious children who…

Tomorrow is Good Friday, then Holy Saturday, and then the blessed celebration of the resurrection of our precious Lord, Jesus Christ. All across our Dakota Boys and Girls Ranch campuses, folks will wish each other “Happy Easter,” smile, and say…

I love words. The subtleties, nuances, and sometimes downright silliness in our attempts to express ourselves delight me. One thing that I have noticed lately, in at least what seems to me to be a faster pace, is an effort…

The children who come to Dakota Boys and Girls Ranch have endured so much. They have been neglected, abused, trafficked, and/or lived with difficult psychiatric issues. Their behaviors and world views have been seriously distorted. The Ranch’s teachers and doctors…

If you had the opportunity to attend college, how many times did you change your major? If you had children who attended college, did they end up with the degree they were pursuing at the start? “Best laid plans…” and…

Most of us work to make ourselves “better” in some way. Humans seem to have some level of desire for self-improvement, either small or large. We all, including you and I, have an innate desire to be taking steps towards…

Sometimes data is frustrating. The percentage of high school students who graduate in the United States is somewhere between 80-90%, plus or minus. At around 17 million high school students in this country, the 10% swing amounts to 1.7 million, plus…

The dog didn’t bark. I admit it. I have been a Sherlock Holmes fan since I was about 10 years old. I have multiple copies of the books. I especially like the ones with the original Sidney Paget drawings that…

I know there are lots of good things about social media. Heavens, we even use social media at Dakota Boys and Girls Ranch to celebrate, talk about our thrift stores, and recruit employees. My oldest daughter runs a very successful…

I have deep respect for the nurses who choose to work at Dakota Boys and Girls Ranch. I respect nurses in general. My late sister was a nurse. Three of my husband’s five sisters are nurses. My mom wanted to…

I have never been accused of being subtle. I am a pretty direct communicator, and I appreciate that in others. I certainly never want to be mean or hurt someone, but I do believe that more harm is done when…

“Joy, I have to talk to you privately.” She’s fifteen years old with a round face, deep, deep brown eyes, and a plaited ponytail down her back that she has to be careful not to sit on. Her eyes were…

This is not a happy-go-lucky New Year’s Day email. If that’s what you’re looking for, you might want to wait for next week’s missive. It is kind of a success story, but right now the happy ending is pending. As…

Several years ago, when I was still relatively new to Dakota Boys and Girls Ranch, I was on our Minot Campus right before Christmas. Our on-site school was having a Christmas celebration before starting the holiday break. A local hospital…

“Shadow is dead.” I looked up and there was a 13-year-old girl standing in my office doorway. It was obvious that we were in the middle of a conversation I didn’t know we were having. I had to catch up….

Mikaelah is a lovely, kind, young professional who works on the Information Technology Team of Dakota Boys and Girls Ranch. I am delighted when we have a chance to talk.

Dr. Louis Cozolino is a well-respected American psychologist with a list of degrees longer than my arm. The State University of New York, Harvard University, and UCLA all count him among their alumni. He is a professor at Pepperdine, a profile…

In an earlier email, I wrote about sitting with Alice, a young girl at Dakota Boys and Girls Ranch, while trying to draw a bunny. I shared how, as she worked on her bunny and some artwork for her bedroom…

“I’m not ready for that yet. I need to get a little stronger.” A 12-year-old girl said that to me, as we were visiting one day about the work she was doing in treatment at Dakota Boys and Girls Ranch….

Medical and psychiatric care is ongoing for children at the Ranch. So is education. In the summer, education at Dakota Memorial School, our on-site school, takes on a different structure. Part of the day is spent in SPARK. SPARK is run…

My parents were children during the Great Depression of the 1930s. Like most people who grew up in those grueling times, they learned to save everything. I grew up washing bread bags (when we had the rare store-bought bread), folding tin…

Today, I received a short note from a couple who have supported the kids at Dakota Boys and Girls Ranch for the last four years. In their note, they asked us to remove them from our mailing list because they…

Sam made quite an impression on me when I met him. I was just months into my time at the Ranch when I traveled from Fargo to Minot for our annual plant sale. I met him in the greenhouse where…