They say if life gives you lemons, make lemonade. We all know that’s easier said than done, but nothing is truly impossible if you set your mind to it and put in the effort. Cara Brookins found herself in an abusive marriage. She left her husband, took her children, and started over in a new house as a mother of five. She realized she had to protect her children from the toxic environment they were living in. So how did she do it?
She designed her house herself and watched YouTube videos to learn various construction skills—plumbing, laying gas lines, building foundations, and putting up walls. Sounds unbelievable, doesn’t it?
Looking back now, she realizes it always seemed impossible. Cara, a computer programmer analyst, decided to build a new home for her family from scratch, because in 2007 she couldn’t afford a house big enough for all her children.
Cara described the feeling like this: “If someone else were in our situation, they’d do it.” “I know it sounds crazy now, but no one else saw it that way.” She borrowed about $150,000 for the construction and paid $20,000 for a plot of land. Her children helped her build their 3,500-square-foot (325 m²) home — the youngest was just two, the oldest seventeen.
Since there was no running water on the property, her 11-year-old daughter Jada hauled buckets of water from a nearby pond. Her son Drew helped design the house. They mixed mortar by hand using 80-pound cement bags for the foundation.
The children visited the construction site every day after school to help. This determined mother paid a part-time firefighter with construction skills $25 an hour to handle the most difficult tasks. “It was a step forward in knowledge,” she recalled.
The family finally moved into the house on March 31, 2009, which they named Inkwell Manor in honor of Cara’s writing dreams. “We were ashamed that our only option was to build our own house,” Cara noted. “We weren’t proud at the time, but it turned out to be the best thing I could have done for myself.” “If I, a 110-pound computer programmer, could build an entire house, then anything is possible.”
She continued: “Pick a goal and stick to it. Take on a big project you’ve always wanted to do, start small, and involve others who need a fresh start too. That’s where the power lies.”
Isn’t this one of the most amazing stories you’ve heard recently? If this family’s perseverance inspires you like it did me, SHARE their incredible journey on Facebook with your loved ones!
