I ran 2 miles in the snow on Monday. Nothing remarkable, but it was definitely needed. During my run, I started thinking about how my run in the snow felt similar to our current situation with our newest placement. I’m sure a lot of runners can relate, I can find a parallel between just about any situation in life, and running. Last week was a tough one, which of course was expected, but expecting it didn’t make it any less physically and emotionally exhausting.

My run in the snow was like navigating an obstacle course. Some of the sidewalks were shoveled, and some were not. I knew there would be slick spots of ice in places that I could see, and some that I couldn’t see, so when I first set out, I was pretty nervous and thinking “hopefully I don’t fall and completely regret this.” We have a loop in our neighborhood that is exactly 1 mile around, I decided I would run that loop so if the first loop went okay, I could run a second. Even the areas of the sidewalk that looked dry had some surprise, slick patches that I almost fell on, and the areas that weren’t shoveled were pretty deep so I had to either jump over a few, or slow down and take my time. After my first lap, I decided to go ahead and do a second one. I knew where most of the slick spots where, and what areas I needed to slow down in. I still slipped a few times. It wasn’t a fast run by any means, and it was hard, but I felt good afterwards and it was worth it.

Foster care can feel like trying to complete an obstacle course. Every time I have taken a placement, I have the worry in the back of my mind that I can’t handle it, it will be too hard. I am nervous and scared of the unknown because no matter how much a case worker tries to inform you, you will never get ALL of the information and you will never be fully prepared. The first week we were navigating all new territory, with obstacles that we knew we would be facing, but they were still knee deep, and slippery hard. I felt like I was falling. Going into our second week, there are a few areas that have become familiar, and I ‘almost’ feel like I know how to navigate them properly, by either jumping over them, or going slow and steady. Even if I ‘think’ I am prepared, I know I will still slip a million times. There will also be those surprise patches (like we had last night)……we may always feel like we are falling, but we might surprise ourselves and stay upright a few times. In the end, we know it is worth it. We also know, what feels like navigating an obstacle course to us, probably feels like trying to climb a mountain without ropes to her. Right now we are taking it one lap/week at a time.