Advertisements
Hi everyone.
My girlfriend at the time (2002) spent a few months scraping together baby photo's of me when I was a kid, and all that from my sisters and she gave me a leather life book that was so beautiful.
My mom had committed suicide in October of 1998 and I had never had a picture of her, so as I looked through this life book at pictures of me as a baby, then, I turned a page and saw pictures of my mom and immediately broke into tears.
It was a strange mix of sadness and happiness. Just seeing her again was so nice after she had been gone for four years.
Aside from that, I also had no family pictures because I was moved through thirteen foster homes from the age of 18 months, until I was eighteen, and had nothing to look back on my life with.
So basically, I carry this book anywhere I move, and keep it safe. It is a beautiful leather book which is huge! It weighs about ten pounds!!!
It is the most valuable thing I own. Not only in finanical value, but in emotional value.
I just wanted to encourage people to keep making as detailed life books as you can for your children. Especiall foster kids who are moving all the time. Everything they know disappears.
Even little things such as take a picture of their emtpy room. Or take a picture of them in their room. Take pictures of the whole house, inside and out. Something they can connect with when they are out of foster care.
The back yard, the door to the house, swimming pool, the bathroom, the front of their school, scouts/guids church, their church inside and out.
These are all things I wish I had today even at the age of 33. Get permission from the foster brothers to get pics of them. Maybe a group picture and make copies for all the kids.
Interviews
You could even do video or audio cassette interviews. Start a "radio show" for the kids to run by themselves and they all get a copy on CD or cassette. Also, keep copies on archive for them to ask for when they are older.
Foster Home Web Site
Why not make a web site for the foster home? Put their pics on it, if they want, they can put the pics on it, (their choice) and give them a place that they can write messages etc.
Just some suggestions.
Good work folks....
Like
Share
John,
Those are wonderful suggestions! I had never thought about taking pictures of empty rooms, entry doors, backyards, our church, etc... but I just realized how important that is. I grew up in my birth family but we moved a lot because my dad was in the military. It would mean a lot to me to have pictures of my room in each of the houses we lived in, I can imagine how much more important that is to a child who not only changed rooms, but changed families as well. Thank you for your insight! :)
Advertisements