Weeds and Dogs

Now that we are getting closer to getting our foster care license I have been letting more people know about our plans to either foster or foster/adopt. I have been getting very mixed reactions and I have to say that I knew I would get a few negative ones, but not quite the degree that I thought. One person compared a foster child to a weed in a garden. I still cannot comprehend how that analogy came about but it saddens me to think that he/she is probably not the only one that thinks this. He/she said having a foster child would be like going up the hill to the field and picking a weed and putting it in their garden. Another person likened a foster child to a dog that just cannot be trained. Both people warned us to be careful and not to let it affect our children in a negative way. One person said that they thought it would be unfair to the foster child forever because our own biological children are smart and the foster child would never "catch up" or be "adequate" inferring it would be better if we just didn't adopt at all. I would be worried that once we actually foster/adopt this child that the comments wouldn't stop, however I know they won't so I am not worried, I am prepared. I already get many comments from friends and strangers about our children now so I know I will get them about a foster/adoptive child. I am ready and I am excited. I can't wait to be placed with such a precious gift.