Wednesday’s Fostering Blog
There are some days where I am just so pleased that Alice cannot yet tell the time. It means on those days that have been tricky she can go to bed early without knowing it. There have been a couple of days this week where we have put her to bed at half past 6 (as opposed to the usual 7 o’clock). To be honest she is exhausted and we have very much needed the break to keep our sanity in tact. When she asks what time it is we simply reply bedtime and at the moment that will suffice. We know it will not always be the case but until then we will make the most of it.
There are other days when we just catch a glimpse of her inner beauty and the real progress that she has made. Some days we discover things about her that quite simply knock us off our feet in surprise. One of Charlie’s parishioners came to the door this morning. She said she just had to come to tell me how wonderful Alice had been to her on Sunday morning. I tried to recall what might have happened on Sunday and couldn’t remember anything out of the ordinary. It seems that Alice had overheard a previous conversation between this parishioner and Charlie. Her husband had recently been diagnosed with cancer.
Alice had not mentioned anything about this at the time. But apparently on Sunday she made a beeline for this lady to ask her how her husband was doing. It was as much a shock for us to hear this as it was for the lady when she was asked. Anyway she was really touched by the thoughtfulness of Alice.
One thing we must note that while Alice is hyper alert she is listening everything. Of course in this case it turned out to be positive and she was able to give a lovely encouragement to the lady she spoke with. It is a reminder that although she can be so difficult for us, she does have many good qualities – and this thoughtfulness to a stranger is one of them. However, it is also a good reminder that conversations are always listened to and we must never forget that.
A Less Ordinary Family Foster Care Blog