Yesterday afternoon I spoke at a conference hosted by the Nation Council of Juvenile and Family Court Judges (www.ncjfcj.org) a great organization that spends it’s time, energy, and resources improving the court outcomes of kids in foster care.
I was invited to talk about health care for foster kids and kids who enter the juvenile justice system. As an expert. Someone who should know something about foster kids and health issues. There were lots of other experts there too. Experts on law and mental health and families.
And yet, all the expertise, all the knowledge in that conference room doesn’t necessarily translate into one single changed life. We get that, don’t we? For instance we KNOW that we should eat lots of vegetables and exercise regularly. But knowledge doesn’t always translate into behavior. We KNOW there is such a thing as a speed limit. But we don’t always drive under it.
The truth is, only one thing changes lives. 
Love.
That’s it. Nothing else. Just love. The problem is, that loving someone is risky. It costs us. And sometimes it is painful. But if we are willing to go there, to love people anyway, then maybe, just maybe, we can change the world.
Are you willing to get your heart broken? I am.
me 2!
I’m up for it and know every bit of love one puts in outweighs the pain one feels when they have to let them go.
So true in so many areas! May not be in fostering but I’m there with you everyday where I live and breathe and am learning a lot from Amy’s new venture in the fostering world. BTW – the girls are doing great and Amy is now working with mom – we’ll see how it goes. Single foster mom working with single birth mom. It can be done.