Episode 227: Picking Up the Pieces of a Misplaced Childhood (w/ Joan Ulsher)

The Forgotten Podcast

TW: While Joan does not go into specific details, this episode does contain mentions of her experiences of abuse, and we wanted you to be aware of that before listening.

Our guests often share the traumatic memories their experiences in life have left them with. But today’s guest shares what it’s like for there to be pieces missing when she tries to recall her past.

Joan Ulsher is a writer, philanthropist, retired U.S. Army Major, and an award-winning child advocate. During her own childhood, Joan survived abuse and experienced the foster care system firsthand. Today, she says many of her formative years feel like “Swiss cheese” because of all the holes in her memory.

Joan tells her story in a memoir entitled Misplaced Childhood: A True Story of Resiliency and Child Advocacy.

In this conversation, you’ll hear how Joan has navigated her mind blocking out childhood memories, how her advocacy efforts have changed her inner narrative from that of a victim to that of a survivor, how finding Christ has given her life new purpose, and so much more.

Show Notes: https://theforgotteninitiative.org/joan-ulsher-227/

Free Video Resource: Foster Care & the Church -- www.fostercare.church