Lisa Poggi

"The first miracle..." The first miracle I ever noticed was the birth of my son who became our foster child at the age of 2 days old. I was 44, and I had found out the previous year that I was infertile. I had always wanted to be a mom, ever since I could remember. There were lots of moving parts that needed to fit just so, for our son to land in my arms. I had been laid off with full pay the previous week, so I was able to say to the Foster Care Social Worker, “I can hold a crying baby in...

I always wanted to have children. Ever since I can remember. It took my husband and I many years and many trials before the birth of our son who is now twenty-one years old. When our children are born, we attach hopes and dreams along with expectations of how their lives will look. And for that matter, how our lives as parents will look. Making life-long friends, playing organized sports, succeeding in school, attending college, getting the perfect job to support themselves, and us as...

I just got home from downtown Los Angeles, where I spent the day with my brother. The traffic-filled ride home took nearly an hour and forty minutes, and I spent most of that time crying. Downtown Los Angeles triggers me. I see mentally ill, drug-addicted people sleeping on sidewalks, in doorways, and doing drugs, while regular people walk past or around them. This isn’t even Skid Row. I have been to Skid Row looking for my son. It was a traumatic experience I wouldn’t wish on anyone. My son...