【寄養家庭日記 2】太太一句話，我們開始了寄養家庭的旅程

Last time, we talked about taking our sixth foster child on a trip, and we finally succeeded in taking him on his first airplane ride.

Later, some friends asked me, "Why did you start doing foster care?"
"Is it because you genuinely want to help people and do good deeds?"

But to be honest, the reason itself wasn't some grand ambition.
Instead, it was a decision that a family had discussed for a long time without reaching an answer.

We already have one biological child, but I've always wanted a second one.
I don't necessarily want to give birth myself; I'd prefer adoption. I've always believed that family ties aren't based on blood relations, but on sharing life together.
I rely on you to teach me, take care of me, and live together day after day.

But my wife wasn't in favor of it from the start.
He hesitated for a long time.

He said that he was not sure whether he could "treat him as his own child".
They were also worried about what outsiders would think.
Will people talk behind your back saying, "You're not their biological child, of course you're different"?
Or, what if in the future they find they can't get along and conflicts arise?
Could it be that I couldn't help it and actually wanted to "send it back"?

(This is not hypothetical. Social workers have said that some families have actually done this.)

He said that if we really have to take this path,
He can't have a "let's give it a try" mentality.
Because this road involves not just one thing, but one person.

Later one day, he told me:
"Why not try being a foster family first?"
If I can genuinely care for and treat a child who isn't my own,
"Then I can promise you that I will seriously consider adoption." And so, we started applying for foster family status.

The process isn't simple; it involves attending classes, an interview, and an assessment of your home environment.
There is still a series of procedures to go through.

But once they got through, the first child arrived very quickly.
It's a little boy who's a year and a half old.

He pulled us close, and my wife looked at me without saying a word.
But I know that he is actually very complicated inside.

And so, our journey as foster families officially began...

Now, we have gathered six children with different backgrounds, personalities, and stories.
Each one is different, and each one teaches us something. I will continue writing this series gradually.
I want to remember how our family learned to love, to accept, and to let go.
Remember these moments that no one will help you remember, but they are worth remembering.

If fate allows, you might follow our story all the way.
Witnessing the journey, how did it all begin with a simple "try it out"?
It gradually transformed into a "sincere treatment".