Foster Parenting: It is what it is.

I've been on an adventure for almost 5 months: foster parenting.

I have struggled to put together words that describe this adventure. First because I need to respect the confidential story of my foster kiddo (btw, foster parents sign a confidentiality agreement). Second because this is the wildest roller coaster I have ever ridden. Isn't it crazy that we love roller coasters?! We don't know what to truly expect before we ride it; just some general descriptions of the ride, and how others describe what they experienced. We get bumped around, pushed and pulled, and sometimes we even feel beaten up for days. Some of us scream with fear, cry, and puke. Other times we laugh, shout in excitement, and wait another hour in line to ride again. People die on roller coasters; literally, we risk our lives for a roller coaster ride.

There are 3 parts to this wild roller coaster of foster parenting. The good, the bad, and the "it is what it is". Every roller coaster begins with a climb up-hill for momentum, or a quick slingshot type start. Some people call that the good part, or the bad part; I just think "it is what it is".

So where does therapy fit in? That's the "it is what it is". Can I say foster children needing therapy is good? Is bad? It is what it is. Every week, twice a week, horses plus an amazing therapist have given us a little healing power. Equine therapy is a common service provided to foster children.

On the farm, I have found a space to call my own. There is the most clean, peaceful creek I have ever had the privilege of soaking my feet in to wash all bad times away. I can choose one of three types of hammocks for reading, napping, or swinging, depending on what my mind needs. Sometimes walking up to the pond while focusing on calm breathing takes every bit of stress out of my body. I take a camping chair to just sit and admire the horses some days; all were rescued from horrible situations. I don't need this to be good, but it doesn't feel bad; it is what it is.

I'm not sure any foster parent can accurately describe this experience. As an optimist and believer of a good God, I try to cling to positivity. As an honest human with an open-book personality, I try to speak the truth of struggling. I find myself feeling the tension between articulating the good and the bad. That's the beauty of this blog, a space to call my own. I can sit comfortably in the phrase: it is what it is.