Struggles Within Christianity

First Draft Introduction: My best friend in high school, “Alice,” was adopted by a man and his wife when she was three months old. Alice’s adoptive parents were very good to her. It was through her that I learned early on about the importance of foster and adoptive parents for children whose biological parents aren’t around. Whether the parents are deceased or otherwise unavailable, the children of these parents still need caregivers. Relatives aren’t always available. In cases like these, the children are placed in foster homes or are put up for adoption. I knew since I was a teen that I wanted to some day become a foster parent. A good friend of mine whom I’d known for many years, and who herself had been a foster mother for five years, helped me submit an application in 2005 for becoming a foster parent. I had to pass a background test and a physical, and take parenting classes. I had to submit personal references, and my automobile was checked to see that it was mechanically sound and properly insured. In addition, an employee with the foster family agency came to my home to make sure that all utilities were on, and that I had suitable living quarters for a child. Once I’d gone through the screening process and I had completed the parenting classes, which took several months, it was only two weeks before I welcomed into my house my first foster child – a sweet newborn little girl. Two years after that, I welcomed a second foster child – a sweet little ten-month-old boy. I was the child’s sixth foster parent in a three-month period. Becoming a foster parent has been as challenging -- and rewarding – as I thought it would be. Though it keeps me quite busy, being the foster mother of a five-year-old girl and a four-year-old boy is filled with daily rewards. For example, my foster children help keep me in good spirits, since they are so spirited and friendly. I love it when they take turns coming up to me to hug me and tell me that they love me. In addition I feel good about the fact that I’ve been instrumental in getting these two young children started with their schooling. The five-year-old attends kindergarten at one of the top charter schools in the country, located here in Los Angeles. The four-year-old attends a private Catholic pre-school. Both do well at academics, which makes me proud and makes me think that I’m enriching their lives. The girl, “Suzie,” who attends kindergarten, loves reading, writing, math and Spanish; she’s also fond of dancing and singing. Suzie gets top grades (A’s) in all her classes; I’m so proud of her. She started reading when she was only four. Now, at five, she comes home from school and teaches me some of the things she learns. Today, she taught me about the “primary colors,” what she learned in school today. The boy, “Albert,” the pre-schooler, loves reading, writing and arithmetic; he also loves singing and break-dancing. Albert gets high marks in most of his classes and really enjoys arithmetic. Both of my foster children already display leadership qualities, something that makes me proud of them. Suzie loves to be in charge and she loves to excel at different things. Additionally, she makes new friends easily and quickly begins instructing children she just met on how to play different games. Suzie’s Girl Scout Daisies troop leader told me recently that Suzie is a good helper in her Daisy troop. She’s an active participant and isn’t one to just sit around and let others do all the work. Albert also likes being in charge, and he aims to please and be helpful (usually!). When a small group of children in Albert’s classroom was giving the teacher a hard time recently, the teachers at his school found out that Albert had been the group’s ringleader! Albert was acting up because he was upset over the fact that his favorite teacher had left the school. But Albert is doing much better now; his current teacher praises his frequent helpfulness in the classroom, referring to him as her “little helper.” I sometimes wonder what will become of these two children when they get older. I wish that I could keep them by my side forever; but I know the day will come when I’ll have to say goodbye to them. I only hope and pray that I’ve been a positive influence in their lives. I’m a firm believer that it truly does take “a village” to raise well-adjusted children who’ll grow up to be good citizens, and I’m always hoping that I’ve done my part. Conclusion: In an ideal world, all children would have two biological parents to love them and care for them on a daily basis. But for various reasons, that is not always the case. As a person who is compassionate and likes to help others, and as someone who loves children, I’m glad that I became a foster parent. Not only am I helping someone who needs my assistance, I am also making a positive difference in that child’s life. To know that I’m making a contribution, however small, in rearing children who will grow up to be contributing citizens, is indeed something that brings me peace. Getting back the child’s love and appreciation is one of my greatest present rewards. But I also know that wherever these children go in the future, when I’m no longer caring for them, their little hearts will still remember the love, patience and compassion that I showed them, and they’ll do in kind onto others.

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Week Four Discussion Questions: Given the basic guidelines for creating an effective conclusion, what method do you think will fit your topic most effectively? --I will summarize some of the main points in my essay, stay true to my thesis statement, and not introduce any new information. I will try to make my final statement memorable in some way for the reader. Why did you select that one? --Because it helps to remind the reader of the main points of the essay; by ending with a memorable statement, the whole essay will stand out more in the reader’s mind. What rules of thumb do you, or will you, use to make sure your paragraphs are an appropriate length? --If the paragraph is too short (one line or less), I will add some more information. If it’s getting too long, I will break it up and start a new paragraph.