Bars never break bonds: motherhood from the inside | Christy S | TEDxPerryvilleCorrectional 2018

"Bars will never break bonds." That's what Christy has always emphasized to her children, and what her mother always emphasized to her. "My mother was my biggest supporter." She helped look after her grandchildren by providing "stability, normalcy, confidence in their relationship with me." Christy continuously provided for her children through gifts on holidays and birthdays, braces, school clothes and any of their other financial needs. A devoted mother after 24 years of incarceration, she credits her thriving relationships with her children to constant and open communication. Incarcerated since the age of 22, Christy did not let that deter her from being the best mother she could be; from the inside out. Missing some of life’s most important moments were never easy. Instead of letting her situation envelop her, she decided she would stay strong for her children by living a productive life behind bars. This included getting her G.E.D., working a steady job for over 10 years to be able to financially support her three children and being a mentor for women struggling with a similar predicament. Although she was not there in person, she was always there in every way she could be.