This lovely person left our home today after 21 months.

This lovely person…

…learned to crawl, walk, and laugh with us…

…started to eat, talk, and sing with us… 

…enjoyed a Disco dance party after dinner with us…

…and will now thrive in their new home with their amazing forever family without us.

I’ve been the best Foster Dad I could be for this lovely person. They’ll continue to inspire me to also strive to be the best I can be for my family, friends, colleagues, and for the strangers in line at the grocery store.

You don’t need to know the detailed stories of, and unique challenges faced by, the babies we have fostered over the past ten years. Just as you don’t need to be a foster parent to embrace self-awareness, empathy, and compassion when being mindful of the people in your family, neighbourhood, workplace, social groups, or random encounters, as well as for the people you will never meet.

All you need is one person to help you appreciate how other peoples’ lived experiences may differ from yours. One person to help you respect that other peoples’ unfortunate circumstances can affect them throughout their life. To help you be more understanding when you have conflict, misunderstandings, or difficult relationships with other people. To make you want to be a better person.

You don’t need to know this one person.

It can be this lovely person.