I like my life like I like my weather–perfectly suited for whatever plans I have. And, because I am married to an easygoing person and we both work from home and we don’t have children and we seem to share at least half a brain so that our goals, desires and amusements are eerily similar, my days usually do not require a lot of flexibility and adjustment. But that is all changing.

Brian and I became foster parents (again) this week and, on the same day we learned our license came through, we were asked to provide a few nights of respite care for a child. Although we had different plans for how the week was supposed to go, we said yes. From our previous experience with fostering, we are very aware that being a foster parent means being a flexible person. When a child comes into our home, we know very little about who they are, what they like, what is important to them. We often do not know how long they are going to stay. The name of the game, like in improv, is saying “Yes, and…”

Monday and Tuesday did not go as planned. Today has already gone a bit off course, too. My “Yes, and…” muscles are bit sore from being stretched after a long dormancy. But I’m doing my best to let go of expectations, because expectations sabotage equanimity.

Flowers given to me proudly by our little house guest.