Since it is so late in the day, and I don't want to get into anything too heavy, I am going to share this poem with all of you. This was written by Kelinda, a 12 year-old girl who was placed in foster care at age 6. According to her GAL, Kelinda is goal-oriented and convinced that she will one day go to college. I'm sure she will.

I AM

I am not black or white.
I am swirls of green, blue, purple, orange and colors no one knows.

I am not rich with money, cars or jewelry.
I am rich with love, hope and faith.

I am not American.
I am part of a much larger culture...the human race.

I am not asking you to follow my lead or do what I do.
I am asking you to walk with me and be my friend.

I am not asking you to love me.
I am asking you to respect me even though we are different.

I am not part of the crowd, yet I am not alone.
I am just me.

I am not looking at you because you're different.
I am looking at you because I am curious.

I am not going to say I'm sorry that someone thinks you are different.
I am going to stand by your side and let us be different together.

I am not going to fight you for our differences.

I am not going to be mad at the people trying to bring me down.
I am going to thank them for making me stronger.

I am not black or white.
I am swirls of green, blue, purple, orange and colors no one knows.

This poem was submitted to the Connection, with Kelinda's permission by her GAL, Shara Weaver, from Ft. Meyers, FL. Reprinted here with permission from the Connection.

As I was typing away, busy making sure the poem was correct and there were no typos, I realized that this was not some light fare for your reading pleasure, but someone's young life that we were talking about. Despite having been through so much at a young age, this girl is very determined and positive.

It would have been so much easier to focus on the negative aspects, yet she chose not to. They were mentioned, but there were also solutions presented. I don't know if I will ever understand where these kids get the strength to continue on with their lives, but I am so glad that they do.