It was more than two years since I last heard from Tish. She was the very first Care Leaver I had contact with as an adult mentor - she even pre-dates Eve and Ella - and it was quite worrying when she suddenly, without any explanation, stopped replying to my emails. I became even more concerned when her amusing blog was suddenly deleted. However there was nothing I could do and I had embarked on the project knowing that this sort of thing might happen.
Yesterday Tish got back in touch. She has now updated me on all that has happened to her since we were last in contact. The last I knew of her was when she was struggling with a part time job and a reasonably full time course in a Further Education college. She dropped out of college at just about the same time as she broke contact with me and at the time as she stopped writing her blog. It seems that she had a big crisis of confidence and, to quote her words, "ran away to hide". Breaking links with me was just one small part of that process.
She is now living in a different town about 30 miles from where she used to live. She is working in a supermarket and is also doing two evenings a week at college. What is far more exciting is that she is in regular email contact with her last-but-one set of foster parents. She feels that this has given her some extra stability in her life so I'm pleased for her.
Of course there is a downside. I already have my full quota of young people to help - more than my full quota if I'm honest - so I am trying to locate another mentor to take her on. If I'm unsuccessful I will of course not abandon her but it is going to be a bit difficult to give them all the time they deserve!
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