Foster Care Awareness Month 2023 - Remembering Your Journey and Giving Yourself Grace
As foster care awareness month approaches, it can be easy to slide into a feeling of heartache as you remember what you went through and continue to go through as a former foster youth. It’s not uncommon – especially for youth who have been impacted by the foster care system – to feel quite overwhelmed around this time of the year. Some may not be ready to remember their experiences quite yet, but the month is riddled with reminders that it did indeed happen. It’s important to remember that your survival is worthy of celebration and recognition, and you are worthy of grace. Foster Care Awareness Month doesn’t have to be overwhelming, though – it can be an opportunity for you to be reminded of your worth, your growth, and how you yourself can make an impact on the youth who are still in the midst of foster care!
“It’s important to remember that your survival is worthy of celebration and recognition, and you are worthy of grace.”
Caring for Yourself This Month
Allow yourself to mourn, grieve, and grow this month as you remember your experiences. Don’t feel bad for feeling bad. Treat yourself extra gently and with grace and patience this month. Self care days, coffee with a friend or mentor, even just a walk outside. Anything that brings peace, submerge yourself into that!
Some ideas to help you through this month –
● Journaling your feelings every day and reflecting back on them at the end of the month ● Make yourself a scrapbook of all the happy memories you have – even if you don’t have photographs, you can use anything that makes you remember a good time. Dried flowers, a movie ticket stub, anything!
● Treating yourself to one thing that makes you feel good every day for the entire month ● Rest, and don’t feel guilty about it!
● Take a social media break, even if it’s just for a single day
● Spend time with the people who bring you the most peace and joy
Share Your Story
This is a great way to find healing in your own experiences and help the community grow a better understanding of the inner workings of foster care! By sharing your story, you’re helping others develop a better understanding of the foster care system and sparking a desire for change within them as well!
In addition to this, you’re also helping yourself by putting your experiences into words and getting them out into the open – it can be incredibly freeing and help you heal and grow. All foster care stories are significant and worthy of being told. Click here to joing Foster Nation’s #SpeakUp campaign and find more information on how to share your story!
Overall, the word of the month for former foster youth should be peace. Whatever brings you peace, prioritize it this upcoming foster care awareness month. Make it a point to make yourself comfortable, and give yourself permission to feel whatever feelings may arise. You, your feelings, and your experiences are valid and your successes are worthy of celebration! So allow yourself to both be calm and be celebrated this time.
“You, your feelings, and your experiences are valid and your successes are worthy of celebration! So allow yourself to both be calm and be celebrated this time.”
