Today marks one month since my birthday, which means that I have been 21 years old for 30 days. In those 30 days, I have had exactly 3 sips of alcohol, all of which disgusted me.
I’ve grown up seeing what a rough start to life drug babies have, and the way that alcohol can change a parent into someone who can’t even take care of their own child. I’ve seen how parents’ actions affect their children, and in turn, what being put into foster care does to those children. I’d like to think that the kids who have been placed with us over the years have been extremely lucky, and that we’ve provided them with an excellent home away from home, but it’s still really difficult for them to be uprooted from the only life that they know, and placed in a home with strangers, even if they do grow to love our family in the long run.
We’ve learned about the effects of drugs and alcohol over the years in different school settings, but I’ve been learning more since before I was even in school. It amazes me sometimes to think about all of the horrible things that I have learned about or seen over the years, but I know that being part of a foster family has made me a better person in the long run. For anyone considering becoming a foster parent, and wondering how that will impact the children you already have at home, I can promise you that it is beneficial to see what the rest of the world can be like.
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Thanks!
Taylor