Former foster child's heartening story from displacement to family love

In the wake of the recent negative report on the performance of New Zealand child welfare organisation Child, Youth and Family (CYF), this heartening American former foster child's story below, is inspiring.

Steve Pemberton: An inspiration to foster children all over the world. Photo - YouTube

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0cdnnIt0s4Q

I think we need to remember CYF here in NZ is an organisation run by governmental legislation which is created by various people and organisations based on professional knowledge and experience.

Perhaps we need to ask: Is society being a bit too harsh on organisations like CYF? CYF is people who are charged with the unenviable responsibility of sorting out social issues at grass roots level, particularly in regard to displaced children in dysfunctional family situations. The responsibility entails doing what is best for the child and it would seem that it doesn't always come out right. When it doesn't, it sometimes sadly, has devastating effects on children who are totally reliant on the state to ensure their ongoing care, wellbeing and overall safety.

It is easy to pick up on the negativity though, especially when it comes to vulnerable children but it would be good to hear about the CYF success stories too.

One can only imagine how exacting the job of keeping children safe must be and how there would be little room for error, as one child slipping through the cracks is one too many.

American former foster child Steve Pemberton found a place in this world after having been rejected as a child and it would appear, had difficult foster experiences during his young life.

But he survived all that to find his feet and later, also found the love of his life in wife Tonya and the couple have three children.

There are various talks and presentations by Steve Pemberton on YouTube, I'm sure you will find interesting.

Would love to hear from you!

Have you been a foster child?

Tell us at Beating the Odds about your experiences. You can use an assumed name or remain anonymous in the comments if you wish. Your story might help someone else.

To your continued health and wellbeing!

BTO

Encouraging thoughts

This group has some great thoughts to share so I thought I would post this URL on my blog for others to enjoy.

https://plus.google.com/u/0/108449557877765188939/posts



 

 

It's so important to keep the positive things going in this sometimes difficult world we live in.

 

There are a lot of people hurting, struggling, ill, down on their luck, displaced, among other things that challenge the human spirit in so many ways.

 

I think it's great for us to encourage each other as much as we can.

 

I've been inspired by several people over the past few months having spent a short time back doing journalism work.

 

Meeting people who seem to find their way to accepting their lot without grumbling, is incredibly inspiring.

 

I hope you are encouraged by this group's sayings and thoughts as I have been.

 

To your health, joy and general peace of mind!

 

Beating the Odds - BTO

 

Find us on the pages below. We'd love to hear from you!

https://www.facebook.com/pages/Beating-the-Odds/832374606804901?fref=ts

http://beatingtheoddsblog.blogspot.co.nz/

 



 

A much loved music icon gone too soon

Fame journey: Enduring entertainer who is now at rest but will never be forgotten by people all over the world who loved her records and her great sense of fun and stage presence. Photo - Lisez Ceci.

 



The passing of another music icon has come as a great shock to the world.

Cilla Black was probably a regular on most radio waves and television screens in the 1960s and 70s.

She had that vocal depth that would have fitted the American music market well but unfortunately, was another one who never seemed to be accepted there.

Once dubbed one of the richest women in Britain, the late veteran singer and television presenter charmed audiences around the world during those years.

I remember my father saying, as we watched her television variety show in the 70s, "she has a wonderful stage presence, that girl," he'd say.

Described by friends as funny and a lovely person, Cilla Black will be missed all over the world.

Hits like Anyone Who Had A Heart and Alfie, of course not forgetting her signature song which opened her tv show, Step Inside Love will never be forgotten.

We wish her family our deepest condolences and we will have to enjoy reruns of all those great songs.

Cilla seemed to have gone into retirement over the past few decades and appeared to be enjoying life in places like Barbados and Spain.

Well, she earned it and it is hoped that the latter years of her life were happy ones.

We thank her for all the happy memories she gave the world.

Beating the Odds

BTO

 

Dealing with a debilitating phobia



Appropriate: Thought this quote fitted the item below well. It takes strength to find our way out of some of life's most difficult challenges.

This story about a woman who suffers from selective mutism - a condition I had never heard of.

Take a look at her story: http://www.bbc.com/news/magazine-33507287

There are so many of these debilitating phobias that people suffer from and just reading about this poor woman really makes you thankful for your situation.

I admire how she is studying her degree in psychology with a view to helping other people in the same boat.

There are many phobias of various things and situations and it's hard to know what triggers many of them.

I only know how difficult they make life for sufferers.

What are some causes of phobias?

The following website has some information about phobias; types and possible causes:

http://www.medicalnewstoday.com/articles/249347.php

Do you suffer from a phobia?

Tell us what life is like every day for you if you are living with a phobia. People's experiences often help others with what they face daily.

Wishing you well!

Beating the Odds

BTO.

A routine health check reveals a scary condition

Journey to wellness: British woman Kelly Luff has beaten the rare condition of melanoma of the eye. A reminder to keep up with health checks. - Photo Daily Mail - United Kingdom.

This young British woman's Beating the Odds story is inspiring but scary and highlights the need for us all to keep up with our health checks.

http://www.dailymail.co.uk/health/article-3159780/The-deadly-skin-cancer-EYE-one-virulent-cancers-malignant-melanomas-DON-T-just-develop-sunburnt-skin.html

Just in the process of taking her son to the optician, Kelly Luff decided to get her own eyes checked and that process showed she had cancer of the eye.

As this story points out, there are many other health issues that can be identified by eye tests, including other eye illnesses and even diabetes.

But Kelly managed to beat the disease and keep her eye.

As she said, eye cancer isn't very prevalent and not something you hear about much at all.

So this diagnosis was the last thing she would have been expecting.

Although melanoma is often associated with the skin being exposed to too much sun, it's amazing how many people seem to get it who are not sun bunnies at all.

We wish Kelly well with her continued recovery. Hopefully, she is one of the lucky ones!

Let us know if you've had a brush with melanoma, or any kind of cancer. It might help someone else facing the same thing.

Beating the Odds

BTO.

The power of the question and the impending answers

Questions: Author Jane Hirshfield examines the power of the question in the essay in the link below, from the Oprah Winfrey site. Photo - Jane Hirshfield Facebook page.

http://www.oprah.com/inspiration/Important-Questions-to-Ask-Yourself

The Oprah Winfrey site has some amazing and encouraging information and I thought this essay by author Jane Hirshfield about question-asking is a winner.

It is lengthy but gets the message across about the liberating effects of asking questions and getting answers that inspire.

As a journalist, I'm asking questions all the time and the kind of questions that engender more than single-word answers.

Hirshfield is right in her essay of how questions can be windows to many things and a way to move forward even.

I believe answers to questions increase our knowledge.

I feel I increase my knowledge a little, bit by bit every day with the number of people I talk to about so many different subjects.

It is definitely a rewarding job, being in the business of asking questions.

I hope this is inspiring for you too!

Enjoy!

BTO.

Tragedy affects close family unit forever



Happy times: The Baker family in happier times. Photo and article - dailymail.co.uk

This is such a sad story in the link below:

http://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-3135264/Guilty-grieving-Nightmare-ordeal-father-faced-jail-crime-speaking-family-drug-driver-killed-daughter.html?ito=social-facebook

These poor UK parents who have lost their daughter in such tragic circumstances as a result of the drug affected and inattentive driving of someone else.

Yet the father ended up facing possible charges for appearing to have an over-interest in the purpetrator's family, following the sentencing and receiving jail time.

As this father says, 'people grieve in different ways'. He says he was only guilty of grieving and nothing else.

Sometimes you can't help feeling sorry for the family of wrong-doers as well, because they are not responsible for the actions for their family member.

But it often works out that they receive as much heat as the wrong-doer.

Seeing the happy family photos of the victim and her family, it appears they were a very close unit and their loss is very tragic.

The television advertising in New Zealand around drug and drunk driving has been very stark, in an attempt to get the message across about not driving under the influence.

The current drug and drunk driving 'acted out' ads of people appearing to be under the influence of drugs, particularly prescription drugs, are telling: The ads show shopkeepers noticing customers who seem to be preoccupied, believed to be under the influence and slow in their behaviours.

Earlier ads showed people ending up being given rides in vehicles driven by people who are under the influence of drugs and the rider didn't know the driver was affected until the vehicle was in motion. Even some properly prescribed medications can affect people in various ways.

Perhaps if the medication instructions indicate on the container that it can cause drowsiness etc., then people shouldn't get behind the wheel. Pretty simple really.

A moment's inattention because of an influence like drugs or alcohol can change people's lives completely.

Let's take better care of ourselves so that we can take care of each other.

Let us know what you think.

Has your family been affected by a drugged or drunk driver or in some other way to do with drugs or drink?

Let us know on Beating the Odds.

Either in the comments box here, or message Robyn on Facebook below:

https://www.facebook.com/pages/Beating-the-Odds/832374606804901?fref=ts

 

Stay safe!

 

BTO.