Foul Ball!

May is National Foster Care Month!

I’m going to use my posts this month to highlight some of the wonderful things about foster care, hopefully de-bunk some negative myths, and suggest some ideas in how you can become a part of blessing children who find themselves in foster care.

I started working with abused and neglected kids in 2010 {I misreported 2009 in my original post; please forgive me!}. Even though the children I have worked with over these years have experienced some of life’s most horrific realities, they are still able to be kids. It has been really beautiful to witness!

There were 2 brothers that I worked with at Texas Boys Ranch that Tim and I fell in love with. They were all boy with tons of energy, big appetites, and always up for an adventure. Tim and I decided to take them to get pizza and to a baseball game one night. We ate the pizza picnic style which we thought would be fun, but we should have gone to the pizza buffet instead! Those boys ate 1 ½ pizzas, a bag of chips, a milkshake a piece, and asked for more once they were done with that. We had to draw a line for their bellies’ sake and the sake of our newly wed budget.

They were hoping for a foul ball the entire game and were disappointed when we left in the 6th inning without one. To our surprise, a foul ball was hit and headed our way as we walked through the parking lot towards our car. All 3 boys {Tim included} started running for the ball. As Tim reached for the ball, the older brother {who was almost Tim’s size even though he was only 10 years old} tackled Tim onto the hard, concrete parking lot. Guess who got the ball?! The boys were cheering, Tim was groaning, and I was bent over laughing as I watched the whole thing transpire.

When we moved a year later, one of the hardest parts was telling these 2 boys we were leaving. At our going away party, the older brother walked up to Tim and had something wrapped in a napkin. Tim unfolded the napkin and found the baseball with both boys signatures scribbled on it. There were no words; just tears.

Right after we moved, the boys got to go live with their dad. Amidst the great rejoicing, there was caution in our hearts because there had been extensive drug use in the home. We heard several months later that they had been removed from their dad’s custody after he tested positive for cocaine just weeks before their final hearing. This hearing would have given him full custody and CPS would have been out of their lives for good {or at least a long time}. The Ranch was at full capacity when this occurred; therefore, the boys did not have a room to return to. Instead, they were bounced around from foster home to foster home for several months. Due to all of the moves, The Ranch lost touch and I am not sure where the boys are today. An unfortunate reality of foster care is that children are moved around a lot, too much.

Next week I’ll spend some time highlighting ways you can get involved with foster children and their foster families. Most think the only way to get involved is to become a foster parent. While that is a noble calling and very needed, that will not be on my list of 4 ways you can become involved.

See you next week!