I really do understand your rant, we have literally bent over backwards at times for our band of kids, both foster kids and blood - they sure know how to make you crazy.
One of the girls who left us 8 years ago after giving us a real ride through the rough, got in touch via a mutual acquaintance on facebook last week. We went to see her and her husband and two children at their little house - they are only living 30 miles away! It was amazing to see this grown woman doing so well, making such good choices and being a great mom (we were terrified of what would become of her as nothing we ever did or said seemed to take root with her). We went into the kitchen and hugged each other and she told me that everything she ever learnt about love and how to be a mom, she learnt from me. You could have knocked me over, I never thought anything I did was right with her and I spent so many nights wondering just how to cope with her moods and selfishness, wondering how I could get through to this hard to love kid - who could have guessed that things were actually getting through to her?
I guess what I am saying is I know the sacrifices that raising kids whether they are your own or other peoples involves. It just near breaks you up when they disregard the family you have made for them, to do their own thing with no thought for everyone else, treat you like a taxi service and completely disregard your feelings, but what you are doing is so vital; it is going in, the seeds are planted and there will be a harvest. Out of all the kids I thought might one day say thank you, this one was not the one I would ever have expected, and somehow that makes it all the more special.
Bless you Boyd, you are doing a wonderful thing that will make a difference not only in your kids lives, but in the generations after that are raised well and loved because you taught them how.
