a trip into childhood

Hello folks!

I've just finished the fourth book in The Outlander series by Diana Gabaldon.
T'was really a rather amazing series. I haven't finished the entire set, but the fourth book ended in such a way that I felt that, at least for the mean time, I could take a break from them.
You see, I am the type of reader, that when I'm really taken-in by a book, I cannot put it down. So with two high school courses about to commence, and my job still being there for me, I figured it was time to set them down and get back to reality :(
As you may have figured, I start school soon! Yay? I'm actually not too bothered by it though. If I have these two courses done *fingers crossed* by November, then it means I am finally eligible to apply to University for Child and Youth Care! Which is one in many steps that will start me on my way to, one day, opening an orphanage of my own... shall we tangent that-a-ways?

Heck! Why not?
Ever since I was 12 years old, I wanted to run an orphanage. Odd for such a young age, I'm sure.
But I had three sisters and a crazy mum (in the best possible sense, of course) that decided to home school us so that she could ensure that our childhood was just that. A childhood. You see, kids grow up way to fast these days, I doubt I'll find many people that disagree with me on that one. You see little girls wearing makeup, and having boyfriends by the time there into middle school! And boys, well they're dating those girls, and just generally trying to grow up way too fast as well!
Anyways, back to it. The idea to run an orphanage was an off-and-on thing, not one of those steady goers. But when graduating high school was over, and my life's-plan hadn't emerged yet, I took another look at the idea.
Of course now, I have much greater awareness of how important your childhood is in your development. Not only intellectually ... or ... let's just go with all things "academic". But it affects your entire person. How your raised affects your attitudes and your values. The things that you want out of life, how you see other people.. how you see yourself. All of which are extremely important! And when you hold that looking-glass up to yourself and see the minute details that created you and your different response to things. You also start to notice when these beliefs began to take root.
Now maybe I'm a rare case, and people don't actually care all too much about why they are how they are. But I did. Most of it was great, I'm a super creative person, partly due to genetics, but art was always a huge part of my homeschooling. Creativity was believed to be a part of each and everyone of us, regardless if we had any actual talent. And then of course you see negative things, which I'm not sure I wish to divulge via blogging, but but I'm sure you all can think of a few for yourself, just as easily as I can for me.

Why that big schpeel? Orphans have lost a huge part of the potential for childhood, when their parents are no longer in the picture. Think about it? No more parent.. whose going to raise the child, who is going to allow the child to even behave like a child? That, is what bothers me.
I've seen the effects in my own life for thinking I had to be older than I was. And I had parents, and an older sister! And cousins and uncles and grandparents and family friends and "fake uncles and aunts". They were all there at my disposal. Yet I still managed to grow up way too fast, and take on responsibilities that were never mine to carry. Now sure, I'm "mature for my age" and it wasn't all negative. But that was a choice. Other kids don't get to choose.

So now I want to give back, over an above becoming a mum someday. I want to be in the child's life, who doesn't have, even just a big sister. I want to be there for them so they don't have to be there for themselves. So that they can live as a child till its time for them to grow up, not a second sooner.

This is also why I'm so excited about YWAM. Chances are, I'll get to work with some children who have had to grow beyond their years. Not only will I get to have my own personal-growth-time. But I'll get to help witness to children who've had way to much growing up and not enough child-ing.