Perspective

Foster parenting is hard and not in the ways I think most people expect though probably in those ways as well too. For me it’s the constant appointments. Between therapies, evaluations, doctors appointments, case manager visits , GAL visits, WiC appointments, and court dates, managing the schedule for that is so much. But what makes it worse is the paperwork. Hoping people submitted what they were suppose to, signed what they were suppose to, gave you access to what you needed, which sadly rarely happens. The hoops you have to jump through for simple everyday things to make sure the child your caring for has what they need. It just makes it that much more exhausting and ridiculously inconvenient. What could have been a simple 2 appointments in an hour, in and out, turned into a 4 hour ordeal for us this week.

But here’s the thing this all happened at the children’s hospital. Nothing like some humble pie for a stressed momma quite like that environment. You look around the filled waiting rooms and parents holding the elevator door open for you while your kid freaks out and you feel like an asshole for being annoyed because they have it so much harder. And yet they are all so calm, and patience and almost joyous and I’m instantly reminded that my little inconvenience is just that …a little inconvenience. I know how lucky we are, I am beyond thankful for my family’s health everyday. Our struggles are different and fail in comparison for sure and I’m pretty sure the universe gives me days like that to remind me of just that. Perspective is probably the single greatest lesson being a foster parent has taught me in every area of my life