Dear Simone,
My family is rooting for you. And not just because you represent our country, but because you represent us. My two little daughters sit next to me and cheer for you because just like you, they spent part of their young lives in foster care.
My girls know that you are not just physically strong, you are mentally and emotionally tough. You have been through one of the hardest experiences life can throw at you, and you have been resilient. You have also found a way to stay tender, to be open to loving and trusting the family (your biological grandparents) that adopted you and gave you the stability you needed to pursue your dreams. You have proven that with hard work, determination and support, former foster kids can be anything they want to be. They can even win gold at the Olympics.
You have not let foster care define you. When you talk about it, it is clear that it is something that happened to you, but it is not who you are. The choices of adults didn’t determine your value. You have always had the potential for greatness, even as a child in “the system.” Just like my girls. Their worth was not diminished by spending time as wards of the state. All the days they spent in foster care, they were still important, still becoming young women of substance, of value. Their lives were not on pause while caseworkers figured out what to do with them. Their story was always developing, always pushing them towards love and family. Just like your story.
Thank you for shining a light on the abilities, the potential, the strength of kids who come through foster care. You could have tried to hide this part of your story, but you didn’t. You faced it head on and have been willing to deal with the insensitive comments and scandalous headlines. Thank you. I can only imagine how hard it has been, but I want you to know what you’re doing matters. It matters to two little girls who need to know that the choices of adults don’t define them. Carrying the label “ward of the state” doesn’t have to define them. They are not throwaway children or forgotten children or problem children. They have all the potential in the world, but they need safety, stability and love to get them moving toward their goals. Thank you for encouraging them to dream big and not feel limited by their history, but empowered by their story.
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