Warrior

In life, obstacles are thrown at you.  Each obstacle changes you in some way.  Some are bigger changes than others.  Each obstacle will knock you down.  You have to make the decision whether you want to stay on the ground and let the obstacle destroy you, or you can stand back up, speak out about what you believe and continue on fighting.  It will be hard to fight because there is always the haters and the doubters, but sometimes you have to stand alone. I once heard the ones who stand alone against the evil, have the strongest wings and will do anything to achieve their dreams and fly.

I have multiple dreams.  Now, before I share my dreams, I just wanted to say that I am not a crazy seventeen year old who dreams things and will end up doing nothing to accomplish it.  I have already begun my journey.  I have watched friends who I dearly care about go in foster care. 

Foster care is not the best place to put a child.  The child has no contact with their friends who care about them.  Oftentimes, the agencies do not allow the child to have a phone or social media.  They have to visit family members every so often when they were never asked if they were comfortable with seeing them.  Children are put into foster care because of their parents or guardians. But then the parents bend over backwards to "prove" to the agencies that they deserve their child back.  The child is brought back home and then the nightmare begins all over again.   There are many reasons as to why a parent may put the child in foster care.  They may just put the child there because they are too lazy to care for their child. Maybe because they think their child is bad just for making decisions that most teenagers make, such as dating, going to social events, trying alcohol once, cutting themselves ? Maybe because the parent decides to put their own needs before the child? Maybe because the parent could not handle how depressed their child is? Maybe because the parent emotionally abused their child but now because the child is so torn up inside, they send them away before someone can really see what kind of monster they are?  I am not saying that these are all the reasons as to why a child is put into a foster care.  There are the single parents with One child who are battling cancer and cannot even care for themselves anymore.  There are the teenage moms who do not have all the resources at to raise a baby because they do not have any family support. 

I have friends who have been in foster care.  Some are not in foster care anymore.  Some are still in foster care.  I will not give any names out or share details that should not be shared.  Whatever they tell me, stays confidential.  But what I can tell you, moving from foster home to facilities to shelters, does not help the child heal at all.  My friends, are the strongest people I have ever met.  I am so glad they are a part of my life.  They inspire me to improve the foster systems and the children and youth systems the best I can.  Sending your child off somewhere is the worst thing you could do to your kid.  Right there, that is BETRAYAL. A parent is supposed to love their child unconditionally and help their child through the hard times, no matter how many times they say they do not need you help.  A child will always need their parents help.  Seeing my friends in so much pain brings pain to me.  It brings pain to me knowing that their are so many kids out there in the foster system.  The foster system needs improved greatly.  Instead of putting the child with a family they know in a home they feel comfortable in, they put them somewhere they are blocked from the outside world.  They do not check up on the foster families very often.  Sometimes, people who foster kids are only in it for the money.  They can use the money on themselves and just neglect the child. 

I wish I could share all their amazing stories but due to reasons, it is best not to share them right now.  One day, I will tell the world how each of those individuals impacted my life.  I will begin to share one.  Just recently,  I was at a Democratic State Committee event.  I was there to help Cole Goodman out with his campaign.  Cole Goodman is running to be a board member of the Susquehanna Township School District.  While I was there,  I was introduced to a someone.  I began talking to her and as time rolled on, she opened up to me and told me that she is a foster child.  As she was talking, I just kept thinking to myself, "what did this beautiful girl with an amazing soul do to deserve any of the hurt she has been through?  Why do children have to go through this hell?"  She explained how she has been to multiple institutions.  Some of the places were awful and she will be haunted by those experiences forever.  Luckily, there were a few institutions that were nice and did not treat you like you were a prisoner.   Listening to her answered so many questions that I had about my other friends who have been through similar situations also.  It also helped more about foster care, children and youth system and about institutions.  This amazing girl has experienced so much.  She has been in institutions, shelters and foster homes.  I cannot express how much she inspired me.  Through all the bad times she has been through, she still manages to smile and goof around.  We shared quite a handful of laughs that day.  She inspired me to speak out about scars that I have.  Everyone has scars, whether they are visible or not.  Each scar has a story. A story that says, "I have survived."  People tend to judge and criticize scars when they really have no idea what happened or what is going on at the moment.  I have not lost contact with her.  I will continue to be her #1 supporter.  I will always be there to pick her up when she falls.  I will fight for her.  I will try my best to protect her.  She is an amazing girl.  She is beautiful.  Her laugh is contagious.  Being around her, makes everything I do worth it.  I will do anything for her. She knows who she is and I hope she is reading this right now and knows that I am here for here. She is my inspiration, along with every other person out there who is going through tough battles.  I will always protect and fight for the ones I love and care about.

I have many goals in life.  I want to be the change I wish to see.  I want to change laws.  I want to improve foster care.  I want to improve the children and youth system.  I want to help the children out there who have been abused and are afraid to speak out.  My journey has already begun.  I have spoke out about four people so far.  I will continue to speak out and stand up for what I believe in.  I want to help those children who are runaways.  In my future, I will have a house built.  It will be a farmhouse.  A place where foster children can live. I want to build a secure, friendly foster home for children to go to.  I want the child to enjoy their stay and feel safe.  I do not want the child to feel unwanted, treated unfairly or feel trapped inside due to all the strict rules that foster agencies have.  I want to make a change.  I WILL make a change.  Little by little, I will make a change.  I could not do this without any of these amazing people I have met.  Sometimes, the bad things that happen in life lead us to journeys that will change millions of other lives for the better.