What is Wrong with Me?

Hello, Doctor.  Thank you so much for seeing me on such short notice.  I don’t think it’s really an emergency, necessarily, but honestly, I think something may be seriously wrong with me, and I desperately hope you can help me.  You see, a long time ago, I used to be normal – and by that I mean that I was able to have intelligent conversations, or at least finish my sentences.  I had the ability to concentrate on tasks and formulate coherent thoughts.  But it seems that over time, all of that has drastically changed.

Well, ok.  Actually, um, I guess I should just come out and say it:  I think I might be a Foster Parent.

There, I admitted it.  Isn’t that the first step?  It’s not like I’ve been denying it or anything.  I mean, it’s pretty obvious that none of my children look like me, and that the little faces periodically change, and that I’ve always got tiny feet following me and whiny (I mean, sweet) voices calling me Mama.  I guess I just never realized how serious my condition is.  My symptoms didn’t come on all of a sudden, of course.  I’ve been noticing them for a while.  But over time they have become more and more pronounced, and I really need to stop pretending that my life is ordinary.

While I'm Waiting

I glance at my watch, wondering what they are doing right about now.  In an effort to keep my hands and mind busy, I nervously start a load of laundry, clean out a kitchen drawer, answer a few e-mails.  I look at my watch again, and can hardly believe that only a few minutes have passed since I last checked.  Why does time seem to move so slowly when I’m waiting?

The parents of my littlest one have a court hearing scheduled today, and as any foster mother knows, court hearings can be a Big Deal.  A home can be running like a well-oiled machine, the children all settled in and thriving, the daily routines predictable and comfortable.  Then, when the sun rises on the appointed calendar day, life as we know it hangs in the balance.  With a judge’s authoritative decision, with a simple stroke of a pen, children’s lives can take a different path.  Families can be forever changed.