Yadda, Yadda, Yadda, Blah, Blah, Blah – if you don’t know my history, please read up on it in my 100 FAQs because I get tired of repeating it.  🙂

Although I chose to leave my third foster home when I was 14, there were serious extenuating circumstances that necessitated my departure.  One of the big ones, apart from a very sad development with my foster parent’s natural family, was the opportunity to live with my mother’s brother – because they assured me I would get to spend more time with my loving Gramma from Tramma (she was my mom and uncle’s mother).  Her love throughout my childhood sustained me.  It breathed life into me.  It was the root of all things good.  Her love was the reason I was able to successfully survive being orphaned.

But, a couple of years ago, I reconnected with my third set of foster parents.  It’s been great.  My foster mother came and spent Thanksgiving with us last year, and we’ve communicated via email weekly.  Their home was the first foster home who welcomed me with open arms, told me they loved me before they even knew me and showed me how a functional family actually lived.

As an early birthday present, my foster mother sent me the funds to go to Iowa to visit them.  I left the two older girls in Kansas with my girlfriend from high school and the two younger kids and I headed north to spend five days with my foster parents.  The kids had a great time and loved being showered with attention from yet another set of pseudo-grandparents.  I got to visit with some dear friends and family, whom I haven’t seen in MANY years (let’s not count, m’kay?!).

My goal in going was not just to spend time with some good people, but to also show myself and others that I may have MS, but it won’t stop me from LIVING.  I had a few MS-related issues, but no emergencies and nothing we couldn’t deal with when I got home.

But, smiles on my own kids’ faces and on my foster parent’s faces were what set the heart-strings a’flutter.  It’s nice to be loved by others, and although some may know that type of love from birth – I had to find it as I matured.  I’ll take it.