125 Hours to Go

I am a month away from completing 500 internship hours at Catholic Family Service. Since January I have spent every Tuesday and Thursay working in their foster/adopt program. I have had so many opportunities to see every side of the agency. The numerous issues involved are dynamic and complexing. Each child's case is so different.

I have been able to complete a placement in our infant adoption program. A birth mother that I had worked with delivered a beautiful baby girl. The adoptive parents drove from South Texas that day to meet their new baby girl. In that hospital room I saw such dignity in the immense sadness of this mother who was giving her baby a better life. And on the other end I saw such pure excitement at this couple becoming parents for the first time. I will forever remember those moments mourning with those who mourn and rejoicing with those who rejoice.

I have counseled with a birth mother who already has a one year old son and will deliver another son in less than a month. This young mother knows that she cannot care for her next child with no support from a husband and no financial means either. Living on government assistance she has chosen to place her baby in the arms of another family.

I have the opportunity to sit with foster parents who care day in and day out with children wounded emotionally and physically by the ones who are supposed to take care of them. The foster parent patiently love them through a myriad of hard to handle behaviors and love them back in to the homes that they were removed from even when they know that they'll return to the system again in to another home of strangers. I have gained so much respect for these foster parents. I have an even deeper respect for these children who adjust as best they can to their situations.

As a social worker my role is to educate and walk through these difficul situations with my clients whether they are the birth parents, adoptive parents, children or foster parents. My job is to make the "best" decisions when there is no "good" decision.

I am ready to get to my 500 hour mark, but it will be sad to leave at the same time. I do not know what my future holds. I do not know what will happen in December, but I hope to one day be a part of this work again in the future in some capacity. God only knows at this point and I am ok with that. So many people are asking me what happens after graduation. God only knows what tomorrow holds at this point. One more month of internship and I'll be back to the desk at church full time. I'll be thankful for the paycheck, but those will be long weeks! I've enjoyed having my days at the desk broken up by stuff that really matters.

Two more classes, a huge paper and a little time separate me from my December 5th graduation date.