I’ve spent the evening with our latest foster placement on my lap and in my arms. The fourth child to be placed with us. A teeny tiny person who is so deserving of love. And stability. And security. And peace. As they ALL are!
As I sit here, I am reminded to be grateful. For the health and wellness in our lives. For the security and stability we have. For the love I feel, and the peace that surrounds so many areas of our lives. As a foster parent, I can sometimes offer some of these things to children who don’t otherwise have them at that time. Not every story is the same, of course, and even just with the four children I’ve had in my care, there are such varying degrees of each of these things.
Something to remember is that not all birth parents have these things, either. How can they provide what they haven’t had themselves? I am the first to say we can overcome our things, our pasts, and work through our struggles. It is possible. But it is not easy. Even with ample support, you can’t just turn trauma off.
It is always an honour to welcome a new little voyageur into our home, for however long they may stay. Todays placement has once again brought us into new territory, and while we don’t know our way, we are positively here for it. We may have a headlamp along. Some hip waders. MREs. And chapstick, because you know, its dry out…