Tuesday, September 29, 2009

Why Did I Become a Foster Parent?

That’s a good question, and it has been asked a lot. Back in the 1980’s I considered children more of a nuisance than anything else. I knew then, or thought I knew, that I didn’t want to have any children of my own. Then my father started dating a lady, and through him I became friends with her and her family. This lady's daughter was struggling through a difficult marriage and had a young boy that, by 1990, was starting elementary school. Around this time my father and his lady friend bought a small cabin in the Sierra Mountains, and we – both our families – started vacationing there together. Over a period of time I got to know this boy, and was asked to watch after him from time to time while his parents were busy. We became friends, and my perspective on children changed forever.

Of course there’s more to it, but I will leave that for future posts.  (Click HERE to see the next post on this topic.)