02/01/2025
Love l❤️ ❤️❤️❤️❤️❤️
Enough sincere love ❤️
My brother and I were placed into foster care when we were young. He was lucky—he went to a family called the Ripleys. I, on the other hand, went through four different homes in three years, and each one was worse than the last. I got to see my brother every few months. Ms. Ripley would take us out for lunch at McDonald's, and that’s when she first saw the scars all over my body. She quickly made arrangements for me to join their family. At the time, the word “family” didn’t mean much to me. But the Ripleys made me feel welcome in their home.
Whenever I did something wrong, Ms. Ripley would sit me down and explain why it was wrong. But then she would always say, “You’re not going anywhere. Because you belong to us now.” Soon after I joined their family, Mr. Ripley was diagnosed with cancer, and later that year, he passed away. Ms. Ripley was heartbroken. They had been high school sweethearts. Now, she was alone with two foster kids. No one would have blamed her for sending us back to foster care.
But instead, she took us to court and made us her permanent kids. We moved into a small trailer in Mississippi, where she raised us. She worked whatever jobs she could find. We didn’t have much, but we went to movies and had family game nights. She kept us busy with little league and Boy Scouts. She must have been under a lot of stress, but I don’t remember it like that.
What I remember is the support she gave me. She would always say, “You’re smart,” “You’re handsome,” and “You survived all that because you’re strong.” She cried when I joined the Marines, but she knew it was my best chance to get a college education. And eventually, I graduated from law school.
Last year, I had a daughter of my own. That really made me think deeply. I realized that every little choice I make will affect her future. I started thinking about how different my life could have been. My childhood was the opposite of what it should have been. I should have been broken, but I’m not. Because thirty years ago, my mom decided to keep me. And despite all her sadness and heartbreak, she gave me enough love so I could heal.😊😊😊😊❤️❤️❤️
Copied
