I’ve got spirit, yes I do!

Today I had lunch with a couple of ladies from the state’s foster care office – one was the woman who licenced me and Paul nearly three years ago and the other was the social worker for my now-former foster daughter. Both women are very kind and I’ve enjoyed knowing them through this entire process so, despite my still recovering from this terrible cold, there was no way I was going to cancel!

Just before our meals arrived, I was handed a small award-trophy-thingy with my name engraved. It seems that I was given the “Spirit Award” at this year’s Foster Parent Appreciation Dinner and I wasn’t in attendance to receive it! Then I was handed a manila envelope that contained a nice card as well as a certificate describing me as an “exemplary foster parent”.

Needless to say, I was touched and tears were shed.

Now, not to be all down on myself, but I don’t think that I did anything more than any other foster parent does daily so receiving such an honour seems unwarranted. And part of me wonders if the sympathy card played a bit in it. I can hear it now: “Oh my goodness, this grieving widow just said she’d take this placement that we couldn’t place anywhere else*! We should give her a special award for that!”

But, I have an award. And, other than my varsity letter and a small charm for being the badminton champion at school, this is my first ever award. Yay me!! (Now I need to build a trophy shelf…)

* Placement problems were not to do with my foster daughter, but rather a desperate shortage of licenced foster care homes in the region. This is sad because fostering is such a rewarding and wonderful thing!