Grit, Grace & Power of Play

In this heartfelt episode, I sit down with Chrystal Smith, co-founder of Foster Village, right in the middle of Foster Care Awareness Month. Chrystal takes us back to her roots growing up in South Central Los Angeles — navigating poverty, domestic violence, and all during the time of the Rodney King riots — and how witnessing those stark realities as a child sparked a lifelong passion for vulnerable kids and families.

Chrystal shares the powerful story of her oldest son's traumatic birth and the moment of surrender that shifted her faith and her outlook on control forever. We talk about the healing power of play and laughter — not just for kids in foster care, but for all of us — and Chrystal breaks down why meeting children in their world of play might be the most impactful parenting tool we have.

We also dig into the heart of Foster Village: the resource centers that feel like homes, the wishing tree that became a sanctuary for scared little ones, the eight-year-old who now serves as their unofficial ambassador, and the Lemonade Stand campaign happening this June. If you've ever wondered how a whole community can wrap its arms around a child — this episode shows you exactly what that looks like.

Transcript

SPEAKER_02 0:00

Hey friends, and welcome back to Laugh One and Levitate with me, Rachel. I'm so glad you're here today, especially because this episode is one that is so close to my heart. May is National Foster Care Awareness Month, and there is no better time to shine light on the children, the families, and the incredible organizations that are showing up every single day for these kiddos who need it most. Some of you may know that five years ago, my family's life changed forever when we said yes to foster care. It has been one of the most challenging, most beautiful, and transformative things I've ever done. And I can honestly say we would not be the family we are today without the support of Foster Village. They wrapped their arms around us when we had no idea what we were doing, and they have been in our corner ever since. I'm just so grateful to them. We weren't even fully licensed when we welcomed four siblings into our home, and we thought we would only possibly have two at maths. Foster Village showed us with a truck, beds, bedding, you name it, they brought it, and so much more. I could share about it all in the show notes. This is a conversation, more of an intimate inside look on the making of the founder of Foster Village, Crystal Smith. I had the honor of sitting down with Crystal at Foster Village to talk about the mission movement and how all of us, yes, even you, can be part of changing someone's life. If you know someone who's considering foster care, or maybe becoming a licensed parent, or someone who just needs to hear this, this is for you. So let's welcome Crystal to the show. Thank you so much for being here, Crystal. Yes. Thank you for having me. Thrilled to have you, and it's been a long time coming. Yes. I love your passion and what you're about. So thank you. Yes. But yeah, I'd like to just know more about your origin story, how you were formed and what made you who you are, what makes you tick. So can you tell us a little more of where you grew up and how it formed you?

SPEAKER_01 2:21

Yeah, what a great question. Um and there's a lot there for me because I actually grew up mostly in South Central Los Angeles. So the, you know, straight out of Compton applies to me, which is um a unique thing to be able to say. But yeah, just experiencing various forms of childhood adversity that really gave me a different perspective on the importance of childhood and the connections that I had in there, and just the support that my mom had when we were trying to escape domestic violence and how critical the community was, and just those key players that set us in a different trajectory. And that really is what kind of became my passion is is how do we replicate that for other vulnerable kiddos and families. And so um, yeah. Wow.

SPEAKER_02 3:21

Um are you familiar with Greg Boyle? Yes, yeah from him. Yeah, the cherished belonging and homeboy. You probably are very familiar with him. Yes. Um grew up pretty close to there.

SPEAKER_01 3:33

I was gonna ask, yeah, were you close to that, Eric? Yeah, you know, I it's funny, I realized in adulthood that I lived very close to Venus and Serena Williams, like around the same time, because we're at the same age. And so I'm like, we kind of lived right around the corner from each other when they were finding their tennis genius. I don't know, but I did not get it. But it's kind of a fun little detail to think, wow, those things were happening at the same time.

SPEAKER_02 3:58

Yeah, a fun little thought. Yeah. Well, I can see how that definitely shaped you, and you saw so much, and your eyes were opened up to so many more things, probably earlier in life. Yes, as a child.

SPEAKER_01 4:07

There was not much sheltering and just seeing so part of my experience was living in this area. You know, it was during the time of the Rodney King riots and a lot of upheaval in the community and violence and just survival mode. Um, and there was a point where my mom was able to get us into a different school that was a great district, great education, but just a completely different environment. And so driving from that part of town to a completely different environment and just seeing the juxtaposition within 10 miles of how people lived and the different dynamics. Yeah, as you're driving through those neighborhoods. Yes, and so as a kiddo, just really trying to process all of that was a lot. And so I think it um the silver lining being just that compassion and understanding of how different we can all experience the world. Yeah, exactly.

SPEAKER_02 5:09

Yeah, yeah, that's a great perspective to get. How old do you think you were when you were starting to recognize like from your neighborhood to where you went to school the disparity?

SPEAKER_01 5:20

That was probably around, I would say, like second grade. Um and something that through the turmoil and adversity, something that my mom did well is she would just kind of point out this isn't normal, this isn't healthy. And I have since been told as an adult by therapists are like that was a gift that you were given that perspective of this isn't okay. And yeah, we can do better.

SPEAKER_02 5:46

Yes, we can do better as humanity for each other. Yeah. Yes. Yeah. Well, that's really great. So, how did you get to Texas? How did you get to Texas?

SPEAKER_01 5:54

So that's just another cool God story. And that um, so my husband and I met in high school, our high school sweethearts, and we lived in Southern California, and both of us working multiple jobs. I put myself through college to focus on child development because I wanted to learn what is a healthy family dynamic and what does that look like? And um, and then went on to teach parent education to court-mandated parents because I wanted to share all of those amazing tools that I learned. And um, so I was doing various um jobs in that space, and then we had our son really young, our oldest son, and then my husband was working multiple jobs. So we were just like ships passing and had a realization of like, is this as good as it gets? Like, is this my point? And then just started having conversations about what would it look like to move out of state and um somewhere more affordable, and it was completely on a whim. We found Austin um just Google searching, and somebody had mentioned to us, like, hey, I bet y'all would love Austin. And without ever having stepped foot in Texas, we put a deposit down on a house out here and um and then flew out a couple weeks later and we're like, Oh, good, we love it. And uh completely on faith. Yes, and 19 years later, we're in the same house, we love it, we have raised our kids here, and it's just been an amazing leap of faith that we're so grateful for.

SPEAKER_02 7:24

Yeah, yeah, yeah. I had a similar experience. Did you? I was coming from Phoenix, and it's been 13 years now, but a friend, I was on my way, I was moving, I was planning on moving to California actually, to Santa Cruz. Okay, to northern California, and yeah, it's so beautiful there. And I had never even considered Texas, like you I had never even been to Austin, and I was like, Yeah, I don't know. And they're like, No, Austin's different. I think you'd really like it there. And I flew out just a random weekend, and then two weeks later I was moving here. Oh my gosh, because I was like, they were right, this is where my people are, yeah, is how I felt.

SPEAKER_01 8:02

And I think that's it. It's once you meet the people here, it's just like, okay, this is lovely, and then you don't expect the hills and green space and everything that Austin has. And so that was a pleasant surprise because I'm like, I can't do flat.

SPEAKER_02 8:15

I know, I know.

SPEAKER_01 8:16

Once we saw the whole country, I was like, Okay, yeah, this is home.

SPEAKER_02 8:20

Yeah, I know. I was pleasantly surprised too with all the hills and the caves and the recreation. There's so much beauty here, yes, hidden beauty too. Yes, as well. I love that. Yeah, so it's great. Well, what did you want to be as a kid when you were growing up? You talked about how you put yourself through school. Yes. And did you always know you wanted to go into helping children or like early childhood education, or where did that journey start?

SPEAKER_01 8:46

Our family lore is that I was changing diapers at two years old. Like I just love kids and babies and always. Like that's me and my natural habitat is just with a bunch of kiddos. Yeah. And so I think that has stayed consistent, is that I always just wanted to do something with kids. And there were times where it's like, maybe I want to be a veterinarian, but then I'm thinking like baby animals, you know, in that kind of um direction. So anyway, the consistent thread being kids, and um, that was what drew me to my major of child development. And once I absorbed that information and learned how much there is to know about parenting and caring for kids and human development in general, I couldn't get enough information on that. So, and then wanting to share it with others.

SPEAKER_02 9:36

Yeah.

SPEAKER_01 9:36

Yeah. Yeah.

SPEAKER_02 9:37

So you always had that nurturing gene in you. I think so. Yeah. Yeah. Yeah. Oh, that's great. I love that. Well, tell me when you were doing that grind, were you working in with children?

SPEAKER_01 9:50

I was a preschool teacher during that. I did an internship at a children's hospital. I mean, I was doing all this simultaneously while having a newborn and working, I worked as a waitress, I worked as the like I mentioned, parent education. So it was it was a grind. That's the right word. That's the right word for it.

SPEAKER_02 10:08

Yeah, I was gonna say you were in the grind and your husband too, and you were just yeah, like you said, passing. Yeah. Yes. Yeah. Yeah. Well, out of all of these versions of yourself and through different seasons of life and that grind season, and then these last 19 years, and then building, you know, foster village and all of that, what do you think is one of the most memorable spiritual lessons you've learned? That's like kind of part of the levity part of this, like you know, yeah. What has brought you through that or taught you like even the leap of faith coming here? Yeah. What's one of the most memorable?

SPEAKER_01 10:43

Yeah, I think a specific story that was a turning point for me was the birth of our oldest son because I didn't grow up exposed to faith or church, you know, like it just was everything was um universalist in nature as far as you know, like um things that um I never quite connected to. And so meanwhile, I just felt drawn to this idea of Christianity and faith and a higher power and um, but didn't feel like I belonged in that space. You know, there was this sort of like, well, that's church people and I'm I don't fit in there. And so it was a little bit of this push-pull in early adulthood. Um, and then when our oldest son was born, um my kind of frame of mind at the time was if I just get everything right and plan it really well, then everything's gonna work out accordingly. Yeah. And so I went into his um birth with that headspace of like, I'm gonna eat all the right things, I'm gonna do all the right things, I'm gonna have a birth plan for the hospital, I'm gonna tell them, you know, no pacifier and this. Like I had I had my plan. Yes. Um, and when he was born, he went into respiratory distress and nearly died. He was very, very sick, newborn, and needed to be put on ECMO and ventilator and all of the life support. And um, and I went into that plan mode of, and at the time, you know, hindsight, I was just a baby. I was 21. Yeah, how old are you? You're 20 years old. I was 21. And so, but I thought, okay, let's figure out the plan. We're gonna, who are the best doctors? Who, and um, while I was in that mode, um thinking through how to engineer solutions right after giving birth, you know, in hindsight, it's it's like he was just a baby, you know, thinking that he had any control over it. Um, they had flown in a doctor from UCLA um to help because it was so critical they couldn't even transport our son to another NICU, and so they um uh had a helicopter to fly in this doctor, and he came in the room to me. They had done a blood blood transfusion, and I was like, Well, wait, my husband's the same blood type, and you didn't get permission, and he just looked me in the eye and he said, Miss Smith, we're trying to save your son's life and just hoping he makes it through the night, and this is all we can do right now. And so, and it was just that moment that hit me like a ton of bricks, and then after he left, I just fell to my knees, and it was like this surrender of I truly have no control over this situation. And I think it was my first true moment of surrender, and I just remember feeling held in that moment, and there was just this higher power around me of like, this isn't up to you, and I've got this. And so it took a few more scenarios like that, right, um, to really bring me to a point of getting it, but I would say that open-handed surrender was just such a great lesson and something I go back to often of whenever I feel like I need to engineer my way out of something, I'm like, hold on, this is not up to me. Right. There is a higher power here that is working all things for good, and I need to just trust that um it's not up to me.

SPEAKER_02 14:15

Right. Yeah, yeah. Thank you for sharing that story. That was powerful. Oh, yeah. Yeah, that's intense. Yeah, Cunny's just like, we're just trying to save his life. Right.

SPEAKER_01 14:25

Right, yeah. Um it's a good little smack upside the head for me in the moment of thinking that I could do anything. Yeah.

SPEAKER_02 14:31

Like that we have this all figured out. Like, well, no, this isn't to the plan. Yeah, yeah. Well, I was going back to laughter when I was thinking of the podcast, I often would go back to the story of Sarah.

SPEAKER_01 14:42

Oh, yeah.

SPEAKER_02 14:43

And how when God told her she was expecting another story of a mother and a son. Yeah. And she laughed. Yes. I thought. Yeah. Like, how ridiculous is that? Yeah. You're like, why did she do that? I'm an old lady. Yeah, like I'm an old lady. This is a joke. But it was almost like, you know, it was like holding the pain, right? But like releasing the pain. Yes. And then she named her son laughter. Yes. Isaac means he laughed. Yeah. The one who laughs. Yes. And so good. I love that. And I'm like, if God named, you know, the second of the patriarchy laughter. Right. This is important for us. Yes. We better pay attention to this. So true. And how like in those moments of deep pain, and just how laughter can kind of contain both of those emotions when you're like, my son, my son. You're like, okay, God. Yeah. Joke's on me. Exactly. You've got this. And like you said, in that moment you felt so loved or so held. Held. Yeah, I like that word. Yeah. Yeah. Like how laughter can hold that. Yeah.

SPEAKER_01 15:44

So on that note, what is laughter to you? Um, oh gosh, it's medicine, right? It's um it's vitality. Um, I think of play. I think play is so important because especially in the work that I do, it represents the absence of fear. It's kind of the counter to survival mode. And so isn't that just Stuart Brown? Um, who told me about that?

SPEAKER_02 16:11

I'm not playing how the brain like actually functions differently. There's absolutely no room for fear when you're in a state of play.

SPEAKER_01 16:18

Yeah. I mean it's there's neuroscience that supports it. That you know, that that's like specific to children when they're in play mode, that their brain is functioning in a space that's not fear mode. Yeah. Um, and I think the same applies to adults. And so when we can play and laugh, it's healing, it's connecting, it's restorative, it's like I said, medicine. Yeah, yeah, yeah.

SPEAKER_02 16:45

Absolutely. I completely believe that. So many things. Well, yes, you have well, you have a degree in trauma-informed care. And with your work and everything you've done in your education, with experience, what is the most impactful tool that we can use as parents to connect with our kiddos?

SPEAKER_01 17:04

I would say play again. I think that's something that um your opinion. We as a parent afore, you know, it's so easy to lose sight of. Like we obviously have these goals for our kids and want them to focus on developing and discipline and and really good important things. Um, because we are raising adults, right? And sitting with them in play and meeting them in their world of play is so good and so connecting and from like a neuroscience standpoint, from a relational standpoint, from so many different areas of what builds us as human beings, it goes back to play. And so there's even so much science that supports rough housing, where I think a lot of times as parents we're like, oh, don't rough house. It's really healthy, it's part of development, it's something that's really good for kids to do and how they learn boundaries and things like that. And so um, I think as parents, meeting kids in their world of play is so great, and it's great for the parents too. We get to be reminded of winsomeness and our own inner child, and so I mean so good. Yeah, I think that's why I love kids so much because it's just to kind of enter into their world of all of that imagination and and joy and seeing things from a different perspective.

SPEAKER_02 18:29

Yeah, yeah, the mystery, yeah, and they don't need things to be certain at all. Yes, like how we have our plans, yes, exactly. Yeah, yeah, they love that. Yeah, that was one thing I loved about when we became parents because we were we didn't have children when we had our first placement with our foster kids. We had four boys, oh my gosh, and talk about rough housing, yes, yes, and it's just like a puppy pile, just like exactly like constantly, like yeah, even after a meal, I was like, How are they not throwing up right now?

SPEAKER_01 19:02

Like they're too tired, yeah, yeah.

SPEAKER_02 19:05

But it is so powerful, yeah. And also, like for me, I didn't realize it, but a secret benefit for me behind becoming a parent was to get in that puppy pile and to be part of the like you said, the benefit to the parent in that moment and getting back into touch with your inner child is so healing. Yes, yeah, yeah, like you're going back to the medicine.

SPEAKER_01 19:28

Yeah, it's well, and just being reminded of what brings us joy at our core, you know, and not circumstantially, but really just delighting in things that don't necessarily have to make a whole lot of sense. Right. Exactly. Yeah, yeah, yeah, yeah. Like that certainty.

SPEAKER_02 19:47

Yes. Well, I was wondering you deal with some heavy stories, like yes. Some really heavy stuff. Yeah. People coming in. And what are some stories that sustain you in times of uh uh travail, just times of trauma? What are some of those stories or one that just really I don't know, sticks with you and you kind of come back to a great question.

SPEAKER_01 20:14

There's so many. I would say that the thing that's sustaining through all of it is small victories because um we tend to want to have a really shiny outcome of um, you know, this child experienced this extensive abuse and trauma and all of these things, and now they're with this family and everything's brand new and good and shiny and happy. Yes. And that's just not typically a reality because trauma sticks with us for a lifetime and we're constantly working through it. But I think where I see the joy and hope in all of it is the small victories where it's like, oh my gosh, that child who was so afraid of interacting with people now is running around, laughing, playing, and having the time of their life. And so I do think of even just with that example, a sweet little buddy that um was placed with his foster family after being bounced to uh I think it was seven different homes in a really short period of time. And um, when he was placed with this couple who's just incredible, but they needed a lot of support because they're like, this is gonna be tough. This sweet boy has a lot of challenges, and so they got plugged into all of our programs, all of our services, or at a resource center all the time. And it's like, okay, we're gonna do this as a village, we're gonna figure this out. Um, but he within a couple years just had such incredible healing and progress. And he now is the foster village ambassador, and he likes to give everybody all the details and the tour, and his only gripe with us is that we won't hire him. At eight years old. Oh my gosh. But and he's just um helps give us creative ideas on how to create experiences for other kids who are in a really hard place and just wants to pour into his peers and just such a sweet, sweet soul. And that family has gone on to now foster multiple other kids, and they've adopted a few more and they've just had the capacity to keep going and keep growing their family in a way that goes back to those small victories of okay, this was all hard and messy, and we're seeing the beauty from ashes here. And um, it's compelling them to keep going, which is awesome.

SPEAKER_02 22:41

Yeah, yeah. And sharing that story for others to go. Exactly. Yeah, that's beautiful. I love it. It's almost like you have a child or like a kid advisory board or something. Yeah.

SPEAKER_01 22:52

Oh my gosh, that would be my dream.

SPEAKER_02 22:53

Yeah. I was like, that's a really good idea. Yes. Have a kid advisory board. I'm actually gonna do that in um in May. We're gonna have conversations with kiddos where I'm gonna interview kids and ask them flashlighting questions.

SPEAKER_01 23:06

Oh, I love that.

SPEAKER_02 23:07

And what they want to be when they grow up. Okay, I'm looking forward to that. So yeah, I'm excited for that. They have such brilliant ideas. They do, they do. Um it's like this unfiltered, unedited. Yeah. Yeah. Um, they haven't been, I guess, like so self-aware with all the culture and society of what they think they should be yet. Right. Just to say it like it is. Yeah. Yeah. Well, I love that story. And I want to know if you can tell the listeners more about Foster Village now and how you're bringing levity to the world. But just all the injustices and just things that are going on right now are just a little crazy right now.

SPEAKER_01 23:41

Yes. Oh my goodness. Well, it started really as a passion project based on our family's experience fostering and seeing how cold and utilitarian the system is, and it's needed, and it's something that unfortunately we can't get away from. It's important to keep the kids safe, but the way that the system is set up is just pretty sad and depressing. And so, and we're taking kids from really sad and difficult circumstances, and then their family of origin, too, are in really sad situations. And so, this vision of how can we as a community create a space that brings the levity, that brings the childhood winsomeness and play and all of these things that are so clearly lacking in the child welfare space. Um, and so that was the vision, and the community absolutely stepped up to make it happen. And so now what that looks like, we have resource centers that are literal homes. And when kids are placed with a new family, they come and pick out brand new clothes and beds and car seats and bedding and all the fun stuff. And all of it is very much kid-centric of like there's a variety, and maybe you like unicorns, maybe you like frogs, maybe you know, and so they can pick what speaks to them. And then all of our resource centers have a play studio where it's just jump, crash, zipline, climb, trampoline, you know, all the fun stuff just for kids to play. Yes, sensory rich um for sure. And um, and then we just do ongoing support for the caregivers where they're able to connect with each other and be like, this is really hard, or this is something really funny that happened that I can't tell my typical friends about because they don't necessarily get it. Where sometimes our kids who have been through a lot of trauma might use colorful language or things that other people don't get. And so, um, so just having that safe space to connect with others who are on the same journey of knowing that they're not alone. And so lots of community building, lots of giving caregivers the tools on how to navigate the various twists and turns, and then just that safe play-centric space is really the heart of what we're doing and bringing it to a system that is otherwise just lacking all of that.

SPEAKER_02 26:11

All of it.

SPEAKER_01 26:12

Yes, absolutely.

SPEAKER_02 26:13

Yeah, yeah, yeah. You create a space for laughter, yes.

SPEAKER_01 26:16

Yes, yes, yeah. And that's the best when we have. I mean, for example, we have um at our resource centers a wishing tree where it's just this yarn-bombed tree that came from. Um, I noticed the kids when they would come, a lot of them would just sit in the tree because the specific tree where it started is sort of like shaped like a chair. And we had this one sweet little buddy who was real closed off. He had just been placed in a new foster home and um still you could tell real scared and just taking it all in. And so I took him outside and he sat in that tree, and I sat, I just kind of crouched down beside him. I'm like, you know what's really interesting? I've noticed a lot of our friends like to sit in this tree. It's kind of shaped like a chair, huh? And then I just had this light bulb moment. I'm like, I think it might be a wishing tree. And his little face started to light up, and he's like, What's a wishing tree? And I said, Well, a wishing tree, you could tell it your wishes and your worries, and it's always listening. And just to see him like become immersed in his imagination and shift from scared little guy to a child. And so then in my visionary brain, I'm like, we need to make this colorful and yarn bomb. So I was out there the next day cutting up Afghans, wrapping the tree. I love that. And so now it's been carried on by we have a sweet um small group who sits there and knits the um blankets to go around it and they go and replace a couple times a year and keep it zhuzhed and colorful. And so it's just really sweet. Yeah, that's really sweet. I've sat in that wishing tree. Have you? Before, yeah. I mean, even as an adult, I have sat and told the tree my wishes and my memories.

SPEAKER_02 27:59

I love that tree. It's so it's like when you talk about that moment in the hospital, you know, when you were being held. Yeah. It's like a place for someone to feel held and safe. Like you can tell your secrets to it. Yes, exactly. Yeah, that was such a great idea. Wow. That's a story that'll sustain me. Good. Yes, that's beautiful. Well, this has been so insightful and such a great time to get to know you better and just know more about what you're doing. And we'll put all of that in the show notes because you just opened a new resource center. Yes. Well, we have had to tell us more about that if you need things or what's the status.

SPEAKER_01 28:32

Yeah. So we, like I mentioned, we started um Dripping Springs, South Austin. That's my part of town. And we thought, okay, there's a need here, and then quickly grew to where we were getting a lot of um inquiries in North Austin. And so we started with storage units up there and then grew to where we had uh another house that we had leased for five years. That grew exponentially within five years, and I mean through the pandemic and everything. And so we're like, okay, there's clearly a need up here. And so through just some incredible God connections, we were able to acquire this land that well, there's a house already built on it, and it has acreage, and so we're able to incorporate nature. We have a little creek and trails and stuff that the kids can experience and adding some fun features, and so that's in North Austin now, and um, so that's our North Resource Center, and then we still have the South one as well, and we serve the five counties in and around Austin, and then we like to get the community involved in all kinds of ways, and so things like in May and June, we have our Growing the Villages Sweet campaign, and so kids all over Austin can host lemonade stands to benefit their peers in foster care and um try to really uh have low barrier access for the community to support these kids and families, right?

SPEAKER_02 29:57

Yeah, it was really fun. We did that one year, yes, and y'all, I think you won one of the awards, right? That's right, we did.

SPEAKER_01 30:04

We did. It was most creative.

SPEAKER_02 30:06

Yes. That's awesome. You remember that. Yeah, it was fun. It was then we did it one time we took a couple of us, moms came together and we did it the thicket, like a food truck little place.

SPEAKER_01 30:16

But that's still I love it. Yeah, it's always fun to see the creative things that folks come up with. And um, even the and the kids, man, they they rally and fundraise. I'm always so impressed.

SPEAKER_02 30:28

I know, I know. They're fun, they're like hustling out there.

SPEAKER_01 30:31

Yes.

SPEAKER_02 30:32

Well, how fun. Well, I love to wrap up um the interview with a fun, playful, just a flash lightning round of fun questions. They're short answers, they're playful. One of them, you had a little homework. Okay. If you if you had a chance to do, if you know your Enneagram, yes, three. You're a three. Yes. Okay. Do you know much about the Enneagrams?

SPEAKER_01 30:51

I do. I did the deep dive years ago where I found it so fascinating. And so I kind of and I guess as an Enneagram three, I couldn't just like do a little bit. I'm like, I need to really double down on this. And so I feel pretty savvy on on Enneagram. I I'm fascinated by other people's numbers too and my understanding. Yeah.

SPEAKER_02 31:11

Oh, I love that you knew about that going into it. Yeah. I'm I'm obsessed with it. Yeah, it's so helpful. It's yeah, it's so helpful and it's so spot on.

SPEAKER_01 31:20

It is, it is, yeah. And that's how I knew I was a three when I read the description. I'm like, oh, I feel exposed. You know, you feel really kind of understood and seen and like, oh wow, yeah, that hits.

SPEAKER_02 31:30

Yeah, yeah. Yeah. I'm an eight. Okay. Oh wow. Okay.

SPEAKER_01 31:35

Yes. Eights are powerful.

SPEAKER_02 31:37

Yeah. Yeah. Yeah. I love their strong horse.

SPEAKER_01 31:40

Yeah. So and one of my daughters an eight. I'm pretty confident on that. Yes. Really? Yes.

SPEAKER_02 31:44

Nice. Yeah. I think one of ours is an eight, too. I've Otis's little brothers. I think we might have an eight on our hand. Okay. There are a lot. Yes. Well, you get things done in the world for sure. Yes. Exactly. Well, I've got a couple more, just kind of fun ones. Um but so Enneagram number, got that. So chocolate or vanilla. Oh, chocolate. All right. Agreed. And do you believe in aliens?

SPEAKER_01 32:12

I mean, I think so. I yes. Yes. I'll say surely there's more life out there. We're such a spec in the grand scheme of things. So yes. Yes.

SPEAKER_02 32:25

I agree. If you had a song to kind of like title your life or like a life theme song, what would it be?

SPEAKER_01 32:33

Oh wow. Um kind of grit and grace.

SPEAKER_02 32:37

Or for the season of this time of your life. Oh, grit and grace.

SPEAKER_01 32:41

I think so, yeah. That's kind of the been the combination of my life through every season. Yes. Yeah. I like that.

SPEAKER_02 32:49

And mountains, deserts, ocean beach, or the prairie. Oh, that's easy. Beach. I figured you would say that. That when you said you grew up in LA.

SPEAKER_01 32:58

Yes. That was the hardest part of leaving Southern California was leaving the beach. Um I do, yes. But it's nice to go visit. And so beach is home to me. Do you go back there often? Yes. And our oldest son actually is going to law school there now. And so he's back back to the homeland and our family's out there. And so we do go out and we're going to be out there in a couple weeks.

SPEAKER_02 33:18

Oh, for spring break, probably. Yep. Oh, fantastic. Yes. That's great. What school is he at? Um Pepperdine. Pepperdine. Okay. Yeah. Oh, that's great. Yes. So that makes sense. Do you surf? Do you ever surf? No.

SPEAKER_01 33:30

I have no athletic abilities.

unknown 33:33

No athletic abilities. All right.

SPEAKER_02 33:35

Well, what um speaking about like surfing and all of that, I'm getting older. My husband and I are approaching 50. And I'm just curious, what is one thing that you like about getting older?

SPEAKER_01 33:46

Oh, I would say um being less sensitive in the sense of like you just kind of get to know who you are to the point of like this is just who I am and it doesn't have to like less people pleasing. Yes. You know?

unknown 34:02

Yeah.

SPEAKER_01 34:03

Just more settled. Yeah. Yeah. Where it's like, well, take take it or leave it. This is who I am. And I think just being able to lean into our authenticity more in a way that feels grounded and safe, like not having to impress people. Right. Yeah. Exactly. Yeah. Feel that.

SPEAKER_02 34:21

Yeah. It can resonate with that for sure. Uh-huh. You start to care less, which I guess is a good thing. It is a good thing. Yeah. It's hard to like if I could tell my 20-year-old self, like, oh honey, it's it doesn't matter.

SPEAKER_01 34:32

Yeah. Yeah. Yeah.

SPEAKER_02 34:33

Yeah.

SPEAKER_01 34:33

Well, this has been such a delight. Thank you again. Well, thank you. So fun. I just love the whole concept of laughter and levity and how much it's needed. And um so honored to be a guest.

SPEAKER_02 34:46

Yes. Likewise, how you're bringing it into the world and supporting families. I don't think we could have done what we did for as long as we did if we didn't have the support of Foster Village. Oh. And we were only approved for two boys, or you know, maybe one to two kids. And we got four boys right off the bat. And so we had Manny, if you remember, from helping Hand Home. Yes. And he came and like went out to Foster Village and physically brought his truck, loaded up beds, the mat like everything bedding, clothes, and brought it to our home. Set it up. People were like, we didn't even know who they were.

SPEAKER_01 35:23

But people just showed up.

SPEAKER_02 35:24

I love that.

SPEAKER_01 35:25

Oh, thank you for that reminder. I've you know, it's there's so many families that we get to work with, and I try, I just love being reminded of those stories that were years ago, but also like I can go right back to it because yeah, right, yeah.

SPEAKER_02 35:39

Go back to those days. Yeah, it's awesome. It's incredible. You're changing lives and families and wow, breaking that generational too, like that generational, like that system that's been broken for so long. Of that's the hope. Yeah, yeah. So thank you. Yes, thank you. Just wanted to thank Crystal again so much for being here for this conversation, and it was everything I hoped for and more. You know, when we've got our first placement of the four siblings, we were completely overwhelmed. And Foster Village showed up at our door with a truck full of beds, clothes, bedding, and set it all up. We didn't even have to ask. And that's what this organization is. They are the village. If this episode moved you, I want to encourage you to find a way to get involved this month. Whether it's hosting a lemonade stand, dropping off supplies, volunteering, or simply sharing this episode with someone who needs to hear it. It all matters. Every small victory matters. And Crystal reminded me of that today. You can find everything about Foster Village in the show notes, their resource centers, and how to get involved, and how to support the Growing Village fundraising campaign this upcoming June. So be on the lookout for the lemonade stands. And until next time, friends, keep laughing, keep playing, and keep showing up for each other. Maggie Blaffon and Levitate.