We completed our PRIDE and Trauma training which is another step closer to licensing. Although it was pretty much exactly what I expected, can you really ever be prepared to hear stories of children that are being so terribly mistreated by adults that should protect them?
The most staggering statistic of all is that 90% of children who come into foster care have experienced some form of sexual abuse. Now this can be anything from inappropriate touching and viewing pornography to molestation, but the sheer thought of a young child being exposed to things their precious minds cannot even begin to process is unfathomable. As I listened to some of the cases, I couldn't help but think of my nephew, his 3rd birthday closer than we'd like to admit, and how innocently he views the world. He has a mom and dad who think he hung the moon and two sets of grandparents who would swear he painted all of the stars in the sky. He lives in a world of Paw Patrol, John Deere tractors, and every book and toy truck you can imagine. He smiles, blows kisses, and has a healthy sense of "stranger danger." These children do not. They have no danger censors because they have only lived in danger. They will possibly walk off with a stranger or take gum from the grocery counter because they've been groomed to do so. If they see my husband hug me they may shriek from sheer terror thinking he's going in for a choke-hold and they might be next. The trauma is real, folks. And these children and families are living it every day. There is nothing about this journey that is going to be easy—for us or the children we hope to love on. But we were never promised easy, now were we? We were just promised that we wouldn't be doing it alone. “Have I not commanded you? Be strong and courageous. Do not be afraid; do not be discouraged, for the Lord your God will be with you wherever you go.” Joshua 1:9 xoxo
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AuthorWriting is really my outlet, so you'll mostly see my prose on here. But William might occasionally make a guest appearance. Archives
May 2021
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