Thought for the day…I am exhausted. End of the line, struggling with the next thing kind of exhausted. I know I am in compassion fatigue and it is affecting my relationship with my children. Mind…they are not the ones I am in compassion fatigue with. I am in compassion fatigue with the system, with the way that negative is so easily searched for but positive isn’t . I am in compassion fatigue with “professionals” that tell me I am to be “professional” but then don’t allow me at “professional” meetings. I am in compassion fatigue due to having no stage to defend myself, having only the attitudes and ideas of someone else control my environment. I will be honest and tell you that I would not have started this path in life if I had known. I would not have begun a path to be a foster parent had I known that outcome does not matter, what matters is making all of the professionals feel good. Then you add those groups who supposedly are on the same side (and note I said groups as a plural, it cannot mean one group or club. I know who you are if you think this is all about you, it is not…this is much bigger than just one group). These groups have different ideas of how to do things and each thinks they know better than the other. Adult after adult..person after person…who do not support one another or open their ears to a different idea or thought process…this is why I am exhausted. I want to parent children that need to be safe and to feel loved. I want to offer a healthy and happy home to children in order to make their lives better…this is my goal, but doing it is near impossible because I am so exhausted from the rest of it. I am exhausted from the meetings and the proving. I am exhausted from the lack of rights and the infighting between supposedly like minded people. I am exhausted at being a part of this wheel that is slowly crushing foster parents one day and one more rule at a time. Why am I telling you this? I am exhausted but I am not beaten. I know that compassion fatigue has a cure and I don’t need to stay this way. I am going to share how I am feeling and get the help from others that I need. I am also going to relax the first chance I get and give myself some much needed self care. Compassion fatigue doesn’t always come from your children, it can come from spouse, friend or even the professionals working around you. What isn’t as important is the who, what is truly important is the “how”. Once in compassion fatigue how are you going to get help? I come on the Facebook page and share, and I talk to my hubby. I even allow myself a good cry and also like to eat something naught (chocolate comes to mind). So, no matter who you are in compassion fatigue with, remember that there is an answer and we are here to help, you aren’t alone. So, I am exhausted for the moment, but I won’t stay that way and you don’t have to either xx