I got chatting with a lady from the other end of our road, and the subject of fostering came up.
She asked me a question along the lines of; "Do you think fostering's for me?"
It's a hard question to answer, obviously.
I remembered a story I'd read in a children's book as a kid. It was about the Chinese wise man Confuscious.
In the story a person goes up to Confuscious and asks; "There are so many religions. How do I know which one is right for me?"
Confiscious pointed to an apple hanging on a tree, said nothing, and walked away.
The person went back to his friends and they got to debating what the great man had meant.
In the end the penny dropped, one said:
"Confiscious is saying that the only way to find out if you like apples is if you eat one!"
They agreed; "You can't tell if you like apples by thinking about them or looking at them… you have to try one!"
It's the same with fostering.
You have to pick up the phone and ask, either an agency or your local authority. Blue Sky's as good a first call as anyone. Their comntact details are on their website, Google Blue Sky fostering.
If at any point it turns out not to be your cup of tea you can say thank you, but no thank you. There's no ball and chain. What's more nobody judges anybody. Fostering is challenging and rewarding in equal amounts.
If you're thinking about fostering I wish you could see me now. I'm sitting in my kitchen looking out the window into our garden.
And pointing at that proverbial apple.
Now, if you'll excuse me, I believe you have a phone call to make.
X
0 comments:
Post a Comment