I would love to continue the blog after this course is completed. I think it would be fun to keep in touch with classmates. We may see each other in the threads in other courses or not. If we don't this is another way of being able to keep up on any news and see what each other's futures hold. This blog and this discussion boards is a great way to figure out who your friends could be. I have many friends on my facebook page that I do not get to see on a regular basis especially since many of us are in different areas of the country now. Just like facebook has been a great way to re-establish contact this blog would be a great way to keep contact with those that wish to.

Peer reviews can be intimidating because you do not always know what the other person will think. Did they enjoy it, find it well-written, or did they think it could be beefed up more. While we all want to hear the positive comments and have everyone say that it is a successful paper I also know that constructive criticism is key to building on what is already written in hopes of the paper becoming something that we can look back and be proud of later. I do accept the challenge but fear the remarks at the same time.

The ideas that I have for my paper could benefit future research because I grew up in a foster/adoptive household. I, myself, was not a foster child, however I saw firsthand my parents raise four children from infancy that they adopted. All four of them came to us as foster children that were born crack-cocaine addicted. I have been through the best and the worst of times with my family involving those children. I was there when every single one of them came into our home and when they legally became part of our family, even though in essence they already were. I could attest to all of the medical issues, developmental difficulties and/or behavior problems that those children have had. I have also been able to witness how far each of those children have come since coming into our lives because of the love and support that they received from my parents. I sometimes wonder if they still would have achieved so much if anyone else had been chosen to take care of them. The reason I say that is because sometimes I have questioned in my mind if my parents took on too much, but I have also realized that when you really truly love someone you will take on the world and all its demons to make sure that the ones you love feel safe and loved.

School has influenced me in ways that I could have only dreamed. As I am working on a BS in Health and Wellness I have been encouraged to think out of the box. My other class this term is Complementary and Alternative Medicine and in the process of learning about all of these different forms of medical treatments I have become extremely open-minded as I have even had to learn and experience other modalities for my paper in that class this term. I can truly say that I am excited about what I am learning, even though some of it may be a hard pill to swallow. I just hope the enthusiasm for that course will carry me through as we arrive at the tail end of this term and as the first year mark of my sister's death draws near.