Sarah Hillman —Writer, Artist, Foster mother. 3pearlsbysarah.com

Tell me about yourself

I’m originally from South Africa.I have three daughters—two are biological. Being a foster mother is life-altering as was moving to another country as a teenager.

Do you have a blog? Yes, Please check out my blog www.3pearsbysarah.com. You can read about my experience as a foster mother, see the children’s book I’ve written, and check out my artwork.

Where did you grow up?

I was born in Cape Town then moved to another part of South Africa. When I was eleven that territory gained independence and became Namibia. I came

here for one year when I was sixteen, then when I was eighteen my father started his doctorate at MSU.

Do you think moving as a child helped you relate to your foster child?

Yes and no. It was a difficult move. When you’re a kid, the choice to move is not yours. You lose everything whether or not you are willing. As an adult your life is yours and you decide what to do. As a teen life is already challenging, and giving up everything was the hardest part. I’m grateful in retrospect. I have more compassion for those that have to move without choosing. But it was a privilege that brought me here with my whole family unit, refugee foster kids are escaping terrible circumstances and come alone.

What do you do for a living? I used to be a News Editor for Capital Gains. Now I write blogs for attorneys, do web management, edit web content, and sell my art. I do all kinds of art including ceramics, water colors.

What was your last moment of bliss?  The last time I laughed until my face hurt was Christmas Day. My family always gets together for Christmas and we were having a kazoo competition. My sisters’ partners make enthusiastic kazoo players after they’ve been drinking a while.

What person would you swap lives with for one day? A very wealthy person. I would donate a large sum of their money to the poor and when we swap back they would be sad to find they were no longer wealthy.