When I was two years old, my mother left me and my five brothers and sisters and she never came back! She left us with our father. As a single parent, Daddy did his best to raise us as and tried very hard to keep us together. But when I was seven years old, he ended up leaving me and four of my brothers and sisters in a house alone. He took my oldest brother, who was fifteen years old at that time, with him. The oldest child left in the house was my fourteen year old brother.

Daddy had promised to send money and he even asked his girlfriend Rose and my Aunt Mattie to check on us. But somehow, the house we were left in ended up with no lights, no gas, no phone, no water, and no food. Even the lock on the front door was broken, leaving me feeling afraid.

One late night, at about two o'clock a.m., the sheriff came and removed us all from that house. "We are taking you to an emergency foster home for a nice hot breakfast,"the sheriff said to me. Since I had not had a good meal for several weeks, I was happy to go.

I lived in foster care for three years. I experienced numerous ups and downs while living in foster care, but one of the things that sticks with me is the fact that my school placed me, a foster child, in the Gifted and Talented class. I did not understand why I was chosen because I did not feel smart at all. I felt like my gifted classmates deserved to be in that class, but I did not.

Daddy finally met the state's requirement to take us home to live with him when I was ten years old. We were stable for about six months, then he began taking us with him as he traveled from state to state. He finally stopped taking us with him when I was twelve, and I began living with my eighteen year old sister.

I lived with my sister until I was eighteen years old, at which time I became a single parent and began living on my own. It was hard being a single parent. I worked and went to school while raising my two children. I also became a Christian during that time.

With the help of God, my two children have grown up to be responsible adults. My daughter just graduated from college with a Master's degree in Social Work. My son is currently in his senior year in college. Both of them are faithful Christians.

Today, I have earned my PhD in Christian Counseling and I am the author of thirteen books including my latest book, A Gifted Child in Foster Care: A Story of Resilience. In this book, I expound on my story of being abandoned by my mother and father. I share intimate details about my life experience before, during and after foster care. I also offer words of empowerment to children and parents. This book has already gained the attention of foster care and adoptive organizations as well as educators worldwide.

Sometimes I wonder what my life would have been like with a mother. But, if my life story would have been different, I would not be the person I am today, and I like who I am today!

Contact information

To learn more about A Gifted Child in Foster Care: A Story of Resilience, or to purchase the book, go to www.gracelajoy.com/GiftedChild.htm You may contact me at poetry@gracelajoy.com