Discovering the meaning of family

by Josh Shroyer, 2003 graduate

There are many different ideas about what a family is at the Methodist Children's Home. We all know what a family is supposed to be and most of us here could name what it takes to make a true family. But too many children here come from families that don't fit the normal description; most come from families that are far from what they should be. Too many of us have had experiences that taught us not to trust or rely on those related to us. Instead of healthy relationships, many children find it too hard to connect or communicate with parents and siblings.

It's been almost seven years since I lived with my mother and it takes a lot for us to try to understand each other. My only other real family is my older brother, who used to live with me at the Home. Throughout my entire life, we had been side-by-side. We went through a lot and were often shuffled from place to place, but we were always in it together. When we moved to Methodist Children's Home, we lived in the same home unit. My brother and I fought from time to time but we loved each other all the same.

My brother was released from the Home partway through his senior year in high school, which was my sophomore year. We had been through many tough times but the news that we would now have to endure those tough times alone came as a hard blow to us. Even though my life had been rapidly improving after my move to Methodist Children's Home, the loss of my older brother was almost more than I could stand. It threw me into a tailspin that I couldn't deal with alone. But luckily I didn't have to deal with it alone. Another boy that lived in my unit gave me the support I needed. When I felt that I had no one to turn to, he gave me a shoulder to lean on. When I thought no one would listen, he came to hear me out. Every time I thought I couldn't put up with problems anymore, he convinced me to never give up. We became friends - best friends - and eventually came to consider each other as brothers.

I've tried to return these same blessings to many others at the Home. And for those of us who have grown together, laughed and cried together, and seen each other through the hardest times in our lives, we are more than just friends. No matter what color, race, or creed, no matter situations we may have come from, we have crossed all boundaries to become that which is so important to us all - family.

This article appeared in the September 2003 issue of Sunshine. Methodist Children's Home, Waco, Texas