It was about 3 months into our journey as foster parents, when I had my “ah hah" moment.
Tag: Foster
Not That Mom.
I’ll never be that mom.
Saying Goodbye.
We were committed to saying yes for as long as we were needed, for as long as we were helping, for as long as we were called.
Year One.
January 5, 2017, we got the call for an emergency placement for a 4-year-old boy. The call was for you. You came to us with the clothes on your back and a shy smile on your face.
I Dare You.
To say yes to the child whose behaviors were too extreme for the last parent to handle. To care for them as your own. To answer all the nosy people’s questions. To justify your actions to people who have met your children a handful of times.
I’m Proud.
I understand that in your mind these words make you feel less than, or that somehow your family isn't a family because it wasn't built on blood. That's not what you believe, but that's how you feel other people think.
Not Knowing.
It's called compartmentalization, and I became pretty good at it. I was able to separate my home life and life at basic. At least while we were busy.
Judgment Day.
It’s emotional and wonderful, but it’s not different. Not yet.
And Again.
The next day she arrived. The all too familiar knots in my stomach were there as I waited. But something was different this time.
The Other Women.
Other women have those memories.
