Roar

Our boys love Katy Perry music, specifically her song Roar. I catch them singing snippets of it all the time.

"Dancin' through the fire....'cause I am a champion..."

Though some of Ms. Perry's lyrics are not kid-appropriate (and they don't get to listen to those songs), some of her stuff is really empowering and confident and full of feel-good self-esteem and positivity. Roar is one of those songs. A song about getting knocked down, but then getting back up and realizing our own strength.

As you 've read, I've been bound by fear for the last couple of months....well, years, if I'm looking back and being honest.

But today, today, I broke free of that fear.

And I got mad.

And I got confident.

And I said NO.

No, I will not let the fear of losing our boys keep me awake at night.

No, I will not make decisions and concessions and compromises that I know are not right because I am afraid to look bad.

No, I will not let bureaucracy and systematic red tape deter me from knowing my rights and standing by them.

I will stand my ground, and graciously, firmly, say no.

I will tell the real enemy NO, I will not let you steal my peace.

NO, I will not let you disturb my dreams and wake me from sleep.

NO, I will not let you color my view of what is right and stain my heart towards what I know is true.

NO, you will not win.

And I will not give up. Roll over. Lay down.

We will get up, keep going, trudging through what feels like waist-deep tar, in order to be advocates for foster parents and advocates for the children in the system.

This is our cause.

This is our time.

And I will not let fear keep me from it.