To My Foster Mom

There I sat alone & afraid, you got a call & came right to my aid.

You bundled me up with blankets & love.  And, when I needed it, you gave me a hug.

I learned that the world was not all that scary and cold.  That somtimes there is someone to have and to hold.

You taught me what love is, you helped me to mend, you loved me and healed me and became my first friend.

And just when I thought you'd done all you do, there came along not one new lesson, but two.

First you said "Sweetheart, you're ready to go.  I've done all I can, and you've learned all I know."

Then you bundled me up with a blanket and kiss.  Along came a new family, and they even had kids!

They took me to their home, forever to stay. At first I thought you sent me away.

Then the second lesson became perfectly clear.  No matter how far, you will always be near.

As so, Foster Mom, you know I've moved on.  I have a new home, with toys and a lawn.

But I'll never forget what I learned that first day.  You never really give your fosters away.

You gave me these thoughts to remember you by.  We may never meet again, and now I know why.

You'll remember I lived with you for a time.  I may not be yours, but you'll always be mine.

Author Unknown

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Fostering has been such a bittersweet experience for me. 

I got my first Pyrenees from a Free ad in the local paper.  I knew nothing except that when we pulled in to the driveway, there was a chicken on his back.  And though he seemed large, he was in fact emaciated & sick. I adored this dog for a year before having to put him down due to uncontrollable health problems. 

A year or so later I decided I wanted another dog, but didn't want to hurt the way I did when I lost Jack.  So I Googled my wishes & found a form to apply to be a foster mom.  Like Forest Gump says..."life is like a box of chocolates, you never know what you're going to get."  However, I take them in, love & teach them as best I can, and hopefully release an acceptable companion to his or her forever family.

There will be times when you turn them over to their new owners & you are just happy for them, that they have found a home.  Other times you will be genuinely sad & sometimes devastated for your own loss.  I've experienced I think every step of the progression.  It's impossible not to become attached to them to some degree, even when your mind says "don't."

Every dog presents a new set of challenges, even the best of them.  To have the honor of knowing each of these marvelous animals is precious.  People ask me all the time how I do this.  How can I take care of them & love them & still let them go?  The answer is easy for me.  Who else is going to do it?  Fostering is an enormously rewarding experience, especially when you start with a frightened, malnourished animal & end up with one that resembles nothing of its former self but has blossomed into this gorgeous, happy being that loves life!

Then there are times when you know you can't let go at all.  Most of us have had this happen, including this writer.  It's all worth it to me.  Drives my family crazy, but I have to do it anyway.  Try it for a week or 3.  My guess is that if you are driven this direction, you won't quit.  Fostering, I mean, not adopting.  If you have the room at your home & in your heart, please give it a try.  It's not for everyone, but who knows?  It might be just what you need in your life!

Thanks,  Diane