I find it interesting that our English class is centered around the American Dream, when just recently my mom told me a story about a black woman who is essentially living the American Dream. She was raised in foster care, but never stayed with one family for very long because she was considered a “trouble-maker”. In actuality, she was simply a lively child with a rambunctious personality, but no one ever took the time to nurture her good traits. Until, that is, she met a young white woman who was a social worker at one of the foster homes. This woman bonded with the little girl, and became a mother figure to her. She told the little girl how smart and beautiful she was, and encouraged her to make something of herself. She eventually decided she wanted to adopt her, but when she tried to do so, she was prevented due to the fact that she was white, and the potential adoptee black. In time, the little girl was moved to another foster home, but she never forgot the kindness shown to her by the social worker. Since someone had told her she was capable of success, she believed it herself. She worked hard through school, and through scholarships and part-time jobs put herself through Stanford. After college, she got married and finally had a family of her own, but still lacked a mother or father. She searched for the woman who she had bonded with as a child, but was never able to find her. Recently, she wrote an autobiography in which she talked in detail about her relationship with the social worker. The woman heard about the book, realized it must be the little girl she had known, and contacted her. They were reunited, and after redeveloping their mother-daughter relationship, the social worker finally adopted the orphan. She came from nothing, and because one person cared about her and encouraged her, she found success and happiness, and eventually a mother.