The ROI of a Grandmother’s Love: Resilience in Kinship Care | Ep. 106

What is the Return on Investment (ROI) for a life spent in the "Second Cradle"?

As the Invisible CEO of a kinship family, we often measure our success by the "Fix." We want to fix the trauma, fix the behavior, and fix the broken system that landed these children on our doorstep. When the "fixing" doesn't happen fast enough, we beat ourselves up. We feel like we’re failing a mission we never applied for.

But this week, I sat down with Kevin Lowe, a man who lost his sight at age 17 and found a vision that most sighted people never achieve. His story forced me to do a radical audit of my own leadership.

The Raw Truth: The End of "Fix-It" Culture

I spent months waking up every morning with a mental checklist, trying to "fix" my grandchildren. I thought if I worked hard enough, I could erase the past. But talking to Kevin changed everything.

I had heard Kevin's song on YouTube before we met, and it moved me to tears. Why? Because beneath the voice of this world-class coach is the legacy of a grandmother who simply stayed. She didn't "fix" his blindness. She didn't restore his sight. She spent her days cheering him on, making him laugh in the dark, and driving him to blind school. She provided the safety of presence.

The CEO Perspective: Measuring What Matters

In business, we track metrics like growth and revenue. In the 2.7 Million project, our primary metric is Stability.

Kevin is the living "Financial Statement" of a grandmother’s investment. He is proof that when you meet a child’s needs day in and day out—when you are the one to calm the bad dreams and tuck them in every night—you are building a foundation that lasts a lifetime. You may not see the ROI today. You might not hear a "thank you" for a decade. But the investment is compounding.

The Boardroom Brief: The Data on Adaptive Resilience

• Presence as a Biological Buffer: Research shows that the single most common factor for children who develop resilience after trauma is at least one stable and committed relationship with a supportive parent, caregiver, or other adult.

• The Power of Co-Regulation: By simply "being there" and remaining calm, you are literally rewiring the child's nervous system. You don't have to "do" anything other than exist as a safe harbor.

The Toolbox: 3 Tactical Moves

1. Conduct a "Presence Audit": Stop counting what you didn't "fix" today. Instead, count the moments you were simply present. Did you offer a hug? Did you provide a meal? Mark those as your "Daily Dividends."

2. Reframe the Darkness: Kevin says his tumor didn't end his life; it began a new one. What "crisis" in your kinship journey can you reframe as the start of a new, albeit difficult, legacy?

3. Invest in Your Own "Executive Soul": You cannot be a safe harbor if you are sinking. Take one hour this week—while "Team Grandpa" is working on their Grand-Challenge—to restore your own vision.

The Reflection Room

Are you valuing your presence as much as your productivity? This week, let "being there" be your win. You are the anchor in their dark. You are 2.7 million strong. Still nurturing, and still here.

👉 [LISTEN TO EPISODE 106: THE ROI OF A GRANDMOTHER'S LOVE]