Jonathan's Story
Viewing comments for Chapter 2 "Introducing Jonathan"Our fostering journey with a severely disabled boy
27 total reviews
Comment from lyenochka
But you learned how to deal with the lack of sleep and how to get Jonathon to sleep through the night. I think it's wonderful that your children grew to love Jonathon and also grew in compassion for anyone with disabilities.
I wonder if you're doing further chapters if you plan to make this into a book?
reply by the author on 10-Jan-2024
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But you learned how to deal with the lack of sleep and how to get Jonathon to sleep through the night. I think it's wonderful that your children grew to love Jonathon and also grew in compassion for anyone with disabilities.
I wonder if you're doing further chapters if you plan to make this into a book?
Comment Written 10-Jan-2024
reply by the author on 10-Jan-2024
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Yes, I'll do further chapters, and you will remember some of them. I do hope to expand it into a book, as there are so many highs and lows, and complex details, and even corruption which I plan to expose. His story needs and deserves to be told. It won't be an easy write, as there will be a lot of things to relive that were difficult. Thank you so much for reviewing, and I hope you will continue to follow on.
Wendy
Comment from T B Botts
Hello Wendy,
or shall I say, Saint Wendy? My goodness, I can hardly imagine the challenges that you had to face. The scrutiny would be enough to make me want to rescind my offer I believe. I know that the state has a responsibility to assure that they foster kids are put in a safe home, but good grief! I found it interesting that the social worker you worked with wanted to rush the placement. I'm so happy that there are people like you and your husband who are willing to extend themselves for the betterment of others, but I just wouldn't have what it took. I'm seventy one now, and now and then I see a child that could use a foster parent, but I just don't think I could do it now. Thanks for sharing this, I'm looking forward to reading more about this.
Have a blessed day.
Tom
reply by the author on 10-Jan-2024
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Hello Wendy,
or shall I say, Saint Wendy? My goodness, I can hardly imagine the challenges that you had to face. The scrutiny would be enough to make me want to rescind my offer I believe. I know that the state has a responsibility to assure that they foster kids are put in a safe home, but good grief! I found it interesting that the social worker you worked with wanted to rush the placement. I'm so happy that there are people like you and your husband who are willing to extend themselves for the betterment of others, but I just wouldn't have what it took. I'm seventy one now, and now and then I see a child that could use a foster parent, but I just don't think I could do it now. Thanks for sharing this, I'm looking forward to reading more about this.
Have a blessed day.
Tom
Comment Written 10-Jan-2024
reply by the author on 10-Jan-2024
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I'm no saint, as you will see a little down the track. Yes, I couldn't do it now, and looking back, I wonder how I did do it. The challenges were enormous, it was a long, hard, and often lonely road. There's a lot to come out, including corruption and bullying. I hope you will continue to enjoy the writing (which will be hard for me at times to relive the experiences) and I thank you very much for your very kind review.
Wendy
Comment from barbara.wilkey
Thank you for sharing this with us. At my school, I was the first-grade teacher always got the foster children, normally for some reason, little boys. I do understand the strain on the system and the lack of resources. This story needs to be told.
He felt that he had been treated differently because he had no one to share his room. & At her next visit she proclaimed that she already had someone in mind (you don't need the 'that')
reply by the author on 09-Jan-2024
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Thank you for sharing this with us. At my school, I was the first-grade teacher always got the foster children, normally for some reason, little boys. I do understand the strain on the system and the lack of resources. This story needs to be told.
He felt that he had been treated differently because he had no one to share his room. & At her next visit she proclaimed that she already had someone in mind (you don't need the 'that')
Comment Written 09-Jan-2024
reply by the author on 09-Jan-2024
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Thank you, Barbara, for your very encouraging review, and for your writing suggestions. Our Australian system dictates that "that" as a conjunction should be retained except for informal speech, and I know that differs from the American way, but I'll probably leave them as I won't remember to change them each time, and it also doesn't sit well with me to leave them out. My readership, if I publish, may well be Australian too. It probably grates on you, but I still hope you will continue to read the story as it unfolds, with highs, lows, drama, and exposure of corruption. Thanks again.
Wendy
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I understand. I just had some editors have me go through my manuscript and delete all of them except in dialogue, because people use 'that' in natural dialogue. Just trying to help. I'll try to remember not to touch your that's.
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I always appreciate your help. Editors are helpful at times, not at others. Such things are a matter of style and cultures differ abut that. We would be the opposite of what your editor was saying. Lol.
I appreciate your thoughtfulness and care.
Wendy
Comment from karenina
Your voice is clear as to the immense family considerations, the process to go forward, and the (somewhat manipulative) last-minute change by a social worker who had to have known she was leaving and wanted this to be a "done deal."
It takes a special kind of family to foster children with disabilities. I'm looking forward to your future chapters and congratulate you for offering a multi-faceted perspective of all the pieces and parts that must come together to make such a selfless endeavor a success for all!
Karenina
reply by the author on 09-Jan-2024
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Your voice is clear as to the immense family considerations, the process to go forward, and the (somewhat manipulative) last-minute change by a social worker who had to have known she was leaving and wanted this to be a "done deal."
It takes a special kind of family to foster children with disabilities. I'm looking forward to your future chapters and congratulate you for offering a multi-faceted perspective of all the pieces and parts that must come together to make such a selfless endeavor a success for all!
Karenina
Comment Written 09-Jan-2024
reply by the author on 09-Jan-2024
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Thanks so much Karenina, for your lovely review and encouragement.I hope you'll keep reading for the highs and lows, and the exposure of corruption .... It's been a long, hard, and often lonely journey.
Wendy
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I'm all in!
Comment from Dolly'sPoems
Oh my goodness Wendy, this is quite a story and I am surprised you signed up for this as it sounds liked blame would be on your shoulders, despite all your care and attention. This is quite an eye opener. These days, someone has to take the blame for things when you are not at all to blame, love Dolly x
reply by the author on 09-Jan-2024
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Oh my goodness Wendy, this is quite a story and I am surprised you signed up for this as it sounds liked blame would be on your shoulders, despite all your care and attention. This is quite an eye opener. These days, someone has to take the blame for things when you are not at all to blame, love Dolly x
Comment Written 09-Jan-2024
reply by the author on 09-Jan-2024
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Hi Dolly, Thank you so much for reviewing. As the stories unfold I'll be exposing some corruption, along with the highs and lows of this long, difficult and lonely journey ... it won't be easy to relive it and write it, but I think his story needs to be told.
Wendy
Comment from patcelaw
I love this story very much part of the reason that I love it so much is the fact that when my husband and I were younger, we took in teenage foster girls who were not able to be in their homes. We chose to work with disturbed teenage girls because I had had a very disturbed teenage life and figured I could handle situations with them as things would come up. patricia.
reply by the author on 09-Jan-2024
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I love this story very much part of the reason that I love it so much is the fact that when my husband and I were younger, we took in teenage foster girls who were not able to be in their homes. We chose to work with disturbed teenage girls because I had had a very disturbed teenage life and figured I could handle situations with them as things would come up. patricia.
Comment Written 09-Jan-2024
reply by the author on 09-Jan-2024
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Thank you Patricia for your lovely review, and I see that you will be able to relate very well to the stories as they unfold. I appreciate you.
Wendy
Comment from Rachelle Allen
Wow, wow, wow.
My daughter and niece are both social workers, and I consider these people the angels who walk among us. The people, though, who altruistically care for other people's children --and those with disabilities, no less-- are in a category even higher than that.
This story is soooo extremely well-written. It's tender but not babe-in-the-woods style tender. You walk the line between those two areas to perfection.
xoxox
reply by the author on 09-Jan-2024
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Wow, wow, wow.
My daughter and niece are both social workers, and I consider these people the angels who walk among us. The people, though, who altruistically care for other people's children --and those with disabilities, no less-- are in a category even higher than that.
This story is soooo extremely well-written. It's tender but not babe-in-the-woods style tender. You walk the line between those two areas to perfection.
xoxox
Comment Written 09-Jan-2024
reply by the author on 09-Jan-2024
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Thank you very much Rachelle, for your high praise, and for the beautiful stars, which I am honoured to receieve. Hope you'll stay with me for the highs and lows, and to see corruption exposed ...
Wendy
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I love that kind of come-uppance!
Comment from damommy
Wow! That was a brave undertaking you and your family did. I know how exhausting it is to care for someone with just a few problems, but this had to have been a major life change.
reply by the author on 09-Jan-2024
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Wow! That was a brave undertaking you and your family did. I know how exhausting it is to care for someone with just a few problems, but this had to have been a major life change.
Comment Written 09-Jan-2024
reply by the author on 09-Jan-2024
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Yes, major life change for sure. Thanks so much for reviewing, and I hope you'll enjoy the next ones as well.
Wendy
Comment from GWHARGIS
Perfect description when dealing with the "state" (as we call it here". The highs and liw, fears and rewards are all very vivid in this. I'm all in. Great addition. Gretchen
reply by the author on 09-Jan-2024
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Perfect description when dealing with the "state" (as we call it here". The highs and liw, fears and rewards are all very vivid in this. I'm all in. Great addition. Gretchen
Comment Written 09-Jan-2024
reply by the author on 09-Jan-2024
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Thanks Gretchen. It's a complex and difficult story to relive while I write it, and there'll be some significant corruption exposed. I'm so happy to see your enthusiasm - and many thanks for the six stars.Valued greatly.
Wendy
Comment from Pam Lonsdale
I had forgotten about the different places you have lived in your lifetime until you reminded me here.
Talk about walking the talk . . . instead of just telling your children to be compassionate to all, you showed them how to do it. That's awesome, Wendy!
You have a degree in psychology? I did not know that. Did you work as a psychologist?
Well, this really is shaping up to be a major shift in your lives - and I can imagine you were pretty rattled. It's not giving a puppy back because he didn't work out.
I think this will be an interesting read, and I hope to be able to read them all. I know I'll be on this site less for a while, but I'll keep up as best as I can.
xo
Pam
Good luck with writing this. Is it your first attempt at a book?
reply by the author on 09-Jan-2024
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I had forgotten about the different places you have lived in your lifetime until you reminded me here.
Talk about walking the talk . . . instead of just telling your children to be compassionate to all, you showed them how to do it. That's awesome, Wendy!
You have a degree in psychology? I did not know that. Did you work as a psychologist?
Well, this really is shaping up to be a major shift in your lives - and I can imagine you were pretty rattled. It's not giving a puppy back because he didn't work out.
I think this will be an interesting read, and I hope to be able to read them all. I know I'll be on this site less for a while, but I'll keep up as best as I can.
xo
Pam
Good luck with writing this. Is it your first attempt at a book?
Comment Written 09-Jan-2024
reply by the author on 09-Jan-2024
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In the end I remained as a teacher, but the psychology was always useful, and I loved each subject I took, but loved teaching more. I hope you will continue to enjoy the stories as they unfold. There'll be a few shocking ones, and there will be some exposures of sytemic failures at all levels, and a few nice ones too.
My first book is presently being published with Austin Macauley, available on Amazon from Feb 2. It's a collection of my stories from my teaching career, with unique experiences (as seems to be my lot!). Published under Wendy Smith-Gordon.
Thanks so much for a super review, and for your interest. Much appreciated.
Wendy