Being A Parent is Never Easy, But It’s Even Tougher For Some
Being a parent is rough.
Sometimes it’s ugly, lonely, and exhausting.
You love the little monsters… er… cutie pies, but you long for adult interaction.
You want just two minutes of peace that doesn’t involve hiding in a dark closet or a room with a toilet, praying the darlings don’t spy you under the door.
You want to eat just one flipping meal that doesn’t involve sharing what’s on your plate with a tiny human, inevitably ending up with a slobber-covered spoon.
In the real world, unlike the perfect families on some of the sitcoms I watch on television, being a parent is hard.Â
Don’t get me wrong, it has its incredible moments too. Times when all the moments of anguish seem to melt away, making the parental journey totally worth the pain and agony.
We glow with pride when our children accomplish something they have been trying so hard at forever, when they walk for the first time, when they learn to tie a shoe… heck, I celebrate when my child takes a nibble of broccoli.
Yes, being a parent is a weird combination of loneliness, happiness, bad days, and wonderful days.
There is, however, a special group of people who tackle this job head on, knowing that what they are getting into isn’t easy and often isn’t pretty.
They make the world a better place just by being parents, especially for a particular group of children. Who are these angels in human form? Foster Parents.
These parents, often with established families of their own, commit to loving on a child they don’t even know.
They bring these children, often with all kinds of emotional baggage, into their homes, and love them as their own.
They are there to give the kids love and shelter, nourishment, kiss the scraped knees when they fall, celebrate the successes, and love them through whatever pain they come with.
They commit themselves to this task willingly so the child might have a “normal” life.
I am lucky enough to know several sets of parents, with kids of their own, who also foster children.
It is a pleasure getting to watch the change that occurs for the better in these kids. It is an honor to be part of a community that gets to help lift up and help these parents and love on these children, children who truly need it.
The sad fact is, however, this is a broken system without all the resources needed to fix the problems.
There are miles and miles of red tape and hoops for the foster parent to jump through, and the children often get lost and hurt in the shuffle.
Though reunification is always the goal, it sometimes is a lofty goal that happens without justification or reason, just because the resources are not there to see the case through to completion.
Yes, when the birth  parents make an effort, and are able to work their plan, reunification is an awesome thing. Often, however, the best interests of the child are overlooked because of a system that is in dire need of fixing.
Bottom line is, parenting is rough no matter who you are. All parents need help at times, but if you happen to know an awesome family that also fosters children, give them special hugs and help. Theirs is not an easy journey. It is a chosen journey of high highs and the deepest of lows.
I applaud all you parents out there making a difference in the lives of the ones who need help the most. For more information on helping you can visit the National Foster Parent Association, or you can visit a chapter in your local area.
