July 6, 2009 was a day I will never forget. It was the day Jordan and I brought home a 14 year old foster daughter. She was just being released from Juvenile detention after being there over a month because she didn't have anywhere to call home. She was being held there not because what she did was bad enough to warrant her a stay for that long but because her legal guardian gave up rights when she got into trouble. The process to become foster parents is usually a long arduous process but for us went very quickly and very easily.
Getting her was a lot like being pregnant and having a baby. The maternal instincts kicked in right away. I even found myself nesting the days before we were supposed to go pick her up. We had been warned very little about the reality that would soon be ours. We had been told her history and all of that but nothing could have prepared us for what we were about to embark on. She lived with us for a year. It was probably the hardest year of our marriage but it was one that helped me figure out what I was passionate about.
If you know me, you know that I changed my major like a billion times. So many times in fact that I stopped turning in forms to say what my major was at the college. I took some time off and just did prerequisites because I wasn't really excited about anything that I knew about at the time. I loved working with kids with learning disabilities but wasn't sure I wanted to be a teacher. I liked the one on one relationship building.
The only things I could say I was passionate about was Jesus, Jordan, and having fun. That girl changed my mind. I fell in love with taking care of her and helping her through all the mess she had been through in her past. She became my first baby. I love her with the same kind of love that I have for Caedmon. She is the reason I decided to pursue a degree in Social Work. I hope to be able to touch more children the same way I was able to help her. It is really neat how I can tell that this was the degree that I was supposed to be in because each class I take reminds me of why I want to be a social worker. Its all about helping people.
I am back in school this semester. Having a baby makes me think I don't want to work while going to school I am reminded of the passion I have to work with children like the girl who opened my eyes. Now the challenge will be tying my life as a mom to my life as a student and later as a social worker.
Jordan is one awesome husband who puts up with all my thoughts and loves and encourages me in every way. I'm so thankful for him and for the future we have and what God has in store for us in the coming years.
That's my rambling for now. Just wanted to share what I've been thinking about lately.
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