As I was researching background on my character Booker T. Brooks for the next Street Stories novel, I found this blog by foster mother Shelley Cadamy.  She posted the video below that shows the life of a foster child through the girl’s own eyes.  My character and his cousin Shorty were taken from their mothers due to negligence, not direct abuse, but the fear and confusion and anger portrayed in the video have to be pretty universal, I would think, regardless of the circumstances that spawn the emotions.

While the story portrayed below is not entirely indicative of Booker T’s journey, I hope it will touch your heart in some way and maybe even encourage anyone who is a foster parent, or is thinking of being a foster parent, to give foster kids the benefit of the doubt and hang in there as long as it takes to bring them back from the dark world their past has spun around them.

In my book, Booker T and Shorty turn out with almost exact opposite personalities despite the similarities of their start in life. Was it some fundamental essence within themselves that made the difference, or the circumstantial paths they traveled once separated? I tend to believe nurture goes a long way to directing nature to achieve its fullest positive outcome.