“What Ubuntu really says is that there is no way for us to be human without other people.” ~Chris Abani in his Ted Talk of July 2008
Thank you for being interested in me.
My History:
I was blessed with a kind and stable family environment to grow up in. My parents were amazing and worked so hard to become excellent parents. It worked too. They were wonderful and modelled for me the patience, unconditional love, creativity, confidence, critical thinking, and responsibility I call on every day as I learn in my path as a foster parent.
I hope to expand upon this gift in the only way I know how; by doing my best to recreate it for those most in need of it.
How I came to care about Foster Care:
I was lying on my couch, with my arm dangling off the side and barely able to keep my eyes open as I tried to review my lesson plans for the next day when I received a phone call from a former student of mine. Carrol had been in my class the semester before. Carrol had a bright spirit that lit up when he smiled. He frequently had missed class but he would come to my room during lunch to practice his multiplication. He had my phone number from the syllabus, as did all of my students, but they never called. There are many things I love about myself, but I never mastered the art of teaching: the art of communicating to 40 plus kids in a room at the same time that I saw them, I loved them, and I wanted to teach them – not material. Which means I was surprised to hear from him.
We talked for a good 15 minutes, about nothing in particular, and I was left with this feeling that I had missed a really important opportunity to meet some need of his I couldn’t define. And maybe I did. But Carrol created an opportunity in me. It is this moment I go back to, when I think about why I became a foster parent. It is the growth to become a person who can meet a child in this place and stand with them in kinship that drove me to pursue foster parenting. And it was at this time in my life that due to my experiences in Teach for America in Baltimore and with Carrol I resolved to become a foster parent once I was stable enough to provide what the kids need. It took 8 years and a husband who is even better suited to this life than I to get there. Then we made it happen.
And my life has been so much richer for having the chance to get to know and learn from the kids in our home.
Why I started this blog:
Goodness only knows really. I am ages behind in being technically savvy and generally have had a fear of having any sort of online presence. It turns out though that I can overcome all of that stuff when I get mad enough.
I hope to provide a space for individuals who care about the kids in our community to begin a conversation. I have been inspired by so many in my personal community this past year. So many people have shared with me their curiosity, appreciation, questions, aspirations, and fears about foster care. So many people care and want to be part of a solution. But the conversation is hidden. It’s nearly impossible for people who want to be involved in some way to learn to navigate the politics, find the people who are influential, or know where to start. Its ridiculous really that it’s so overwhelming for us to come together and make things better. And if this system is too overwhelming for us ( a collective of strong leaders and passion driven adults) to feel productive in this environment, then what must it be like for the kids who are thrown into it and have to try to live, grow, learn, and love in this environment?
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