Are You Making Time For You?

I didn't always feel being alone was better (the sentiments which I expressed in my previous post).  In fact, in the past when a person penetrated the wall built around my heart (a battle), I did all that was within my power to keep that relationship afloat. And while that is not in and of itself a bad thing, I often did it at the expense of keeping myself afloat. Before I go further, understand that I stand firmly behind my previous post, but, at the risk of sounding contradictory, I think we must strive for a balance. On one hand, I definitely believe that having and keeping supportive and loving people in your life as a foster youth is important, but on the other hand, I think it is just as, if not more important, to keep yourself as a top priority because otherwise what kind of friend, girlfriend, boyfriend, foster/adopted child can you expect to be if you are not the best you that you can be.  And as always, I think this is especially important during the precious years when you are preparing for and going through your emancipation.

Assumptions and Self-Induced Solitude

While I was in law school I grew an affinity for reading romance novels. I suppose this was because they were polar opposite to the law books I was assigned to read at the time…and plus I could read the novel in 4-6 hours and get back to my school work pretty quickly.  Anyway, last night I read a book by Wayne Jordan (To Love a Knight) and one of the characters (who in the story had grown up in foster care) said the following:

“I’m accustomed to being on my own.  Remember, I grew up in foster care and the word is always survive.  It was never good to attach yourself to anyone, since you never knew when they’d be gone, too.”