you shouldn’t have to say goodbye in a parking lot

 

It’s the most common thing people say to me about foster parenting. That it would be hard to give them back. That saying goodbye, letting them go, would be too hard.

I don’t know about too hard, but I know it’s not easy. If that makes sense.

I also know that if we didn’t do things because they might be hard, we’d never get married or be parents or let our kids get driver’s licenses.

I don’t know if there’s a good way to say goodbye. But I know there are bad ways.

I know that when a kid has lived in your home for almost a year, you shouldn’t have to say goodbye in a parking lot.