Why I chose the charity I chose

Forgive me for being breif and less the clean in my spelling and such. I've a bit of a disability with that sort of thing and seeing as how my time today is very limited here (some appointments to keep, and errands to run, and having to rely on public access computers) I hope the fact of my desire to be true to my word about posting makes up for a little less care in the editing.

That out of the way, I felt the need to elaborate on why I chose to support Child and family services of new hampshire, as my charity for my write-a-thon. The simple answer is gratitude and respect.

But that in itself requires a bit of elaboration. So the longer answer is this:

I am someone who has directly benefitted from their services. I was born in a log cabin in the back woods of newhampshire, with no running water and no electricity. The cabin was said to be in horrible condition... by my genetic parents themselves, due to neglect and poor hygene.

Infedelity became an issue in the relationship, as did substance abuse and personal abuse. Two of my older sisters were taken from them by seperate states youth and family departments around that time and I myself faced several illnesses related to my environment and neglect in my first year.

Some good citizen called in a concern and I soon found myself in the foster care system thanks to Child and family services of new hampshire. To this day my genetic father hates them and blames them for the loss of his children and his serveing jail time for 'first offense' (really first time getting caught) drug use. I see it differantly. He got a second chance.

Because of the intervention of Child and family services of new hampshire, he got himself clean and to my knowledge considers drug use an abomination and a dangerous evil to be avoided. He got the chance to avoid a downward spiral and ultimately what I can surmise was likely to be an early death in a gutter. He had chances again later to start and raise families, and has struggled with problems in that area as well. He now raises one of my youngest sisters by himself, and if he is credible she is better off with her father and happier there two.

Meanwhile my genetic mother never fully got her life back on track. I can't share much about her as I still have much to learn and that is only complicated by her early death last year.

As for myself when the time came a new home and family was found for me. I was placed with a half sister into a local couples care and truely more then that. There has not been a day that we have ever been treated or even felt like we weren't fully part of this family from that day to now. We were always raised with the knowledge that we were adopted and that, that was something special and wonderful.

I won't pretend that there was no arguing, this wasn't some peaceful utopian dream of family life. But it was a gift like no other. For all the disagreements I had with both my adoptive parents , here on refered to simply as Ma and Dad, they were responsable intelligent supportive people from day one. Under their guidance (chaffing as it may have seemed to a teenager at times) I gained a strong foundation that I depend on for my understanding of myself and for how one should carry oneself in life.

Now don't get me wrong here, I'm still a bit outside the box for my family. I don't really tend to be, do or think the way that much of the family does, but the foundation they lay down in my character allows that. There is a deep respect for each individual and personal knowledge of the world and oneself at the core of how we were raised.

I have yet to see that same depth of character and respect from my genetic parents and don't expect to. It seems that they have settled for a differant way of life that while it has a great many things about it to respect, would have been far more restrictive and not allowed me to become the person I am today.

So I owe my family for the chances I have been given that otherwise would have been denied me, but I also have respect and gratitude that I owe to Child and family services of new hampshire, for making us the family we are.

The Thought that giving of my time and especially the creative aspect that was allowed to grow thanks in part to them, that I might allow these good people to continue their work, and that other children in need of the chances I was able to get may see their lives helped...
It's the least I could do.

So If you like me think that that is a good cause, please visit http://www.firstgiving.com/rovingjack
and show your support. Thank you and take care of yourselfs.
Roving Jack

Ps. next post should be up by saturday at the latest.