What I Wish I Knew

Before I became a foster parent,

I wish I knew…

• How much it would hurt when kids we love leave our home.
• That I wouldn’t always agree with the decisions that are made for kids in the foster care system.
• How often I would want to throw in the towel on a tough day.
• That I wouldn’t always be in control!
• How many times a child’s story could break my heart no matter how many tough stories I hear.
• That our journey as foster parents could make me feel so lonely at times.
• That fostering would add to the chaos in our home and sometimes bring additional stress.

But I also wish I knew…

• How much it would expand our family in the best way possible to include both the kids in our home and their families.
• How much I would learn to recognize and celebrate the small joys and successes in life.
• How much I could love someone else’s kid as my own in such a short time.
• How much these kids would change my life just by being part of our family, even temporarily.
• How supported I would feel by our agency and our community of foster parents.
• How much it would change my kids’ lives, shape their character, and prepare them to be compassionate adults and amazing parents.

Before I became a foster parent, I wish I knew that it would be harder than I expected; and also that it would bring more joy, beauty, and purpose than I could have ever imagined.

In the end, I'm glad I didn't know all of this. What if the fear of some of those things had kept me from embarking on this journey? I would have missed out on all the joy, laughter, and yes, even the tears. After all, to feel great loss is to have known great love.