Greek Mythology Contest

Some people say we were destined to find each other. I'm not sure whether I believe it. Of course sometimes I wish that we HAD never found each other. Those times are few and far between though and only when I'm in an extremely bad mood. 1

Who may you ask are "we?" Well my name is Athena. I live with my foster mother, Demeter and her other foster daughter, Aphrodite. And yes those are our real names thanks for asking. Funny that we're not really related huh? 2

I was put in foster care at the age of nine after my mom and her latest boy friend ran off. My dad had been out of the picture for a while. He was an alcoholic and seemed to be constantly in and out of jail. As a result, I was constantly in and out of the system. Although thinking back, the best thing my mom could have done for me was leave me in foster care. Of course I didn't feel that way at the time and at some points I still don't. After all she was my mom.... I didn't understand why she would just up and leave me. We had fun together. Until she decided I wasn't enough for her and she started dating like mad.3

After being tossed over to social services, I was put with a multitude of families. My first family was okay. They were a childless couple who had been trying forever to have kids. Nice enough, they wanted to make me feel at home right away. Then, as often happens, they got pregnant. It was a miracle, a godsend, and my downfall. They were sorry but they didn't have the money to support two kids especially with one of them being a baby. I was moved out and then replanted with another family, the Tomlins. The dad worked all the time and the mom stayed at home with the five young children. I got to go to school but my chores soon included looking after the kids; meals, clothing and all. Mrs. Tomlin was lazy and the only reason she wanted a foster girl was so there would be someone to look after the kids. Luckily my social worker, Grace Par came by one day when Mrs. Tomlin was passed out in bed leaving my eleven year old self to cook dinner over the hot stove. Grace got me--and the five kids--out of there right then and there. 4

There were a few more families and I was about sixteen by the time I ended up with Demeter. At this point Grace was frustrated beyond all belief. Of course I know that she loved me to bits, but I was pretty frustrated with her too. The good families I got placed with never lasted long and it seemed the bad ones lasted forever. Grace just wanted me happy. 5

By the time I got to Demeter's I thought myself a big tough foster kid. No one and nothing got to me. I thought that until Demeter got under my skin. With her warm welcoming smile, her brown hair tied back in a bun and the smell of home cooking constantly surrounding her, I felt instantly at home. In Greek mythology, Demeter is in charge of nourishing the youth and earth and making sure the cycle of life and death goes on. She is also the preserver of marriage and is known as the “bringer of seasons”. Aphrodite, her other foster daughter, was already in the house before I moved in. Now there’s a little princess if I ever saw one. Let’s just say that when I first moved in, Aphrodite and I did not get along. We still don’t sometimes to tell you the truth, but it’s better than it used to be. Aphrodite is one of those girls who thinks she owns the world and is entitled everything. She was always talking about how her mom was going to come back for her even though Aphrodite’s mother had dumped her on social service’s doorstep at the age of five. Long, shiny golden hair, big, innocent blue eyes and a rose leaf complexion only added to Aphrodite’s confidence and arrogance. She annoyed me from the minute I stepped foot in the house. Her false smile and overly cheery manner made me sick. I had seen that kind of attitude before. A few of my foster moms from when I was younger welcomed me into their homes in exactly the same way. They treated me like I was an idiot and a little kid but then when I acted out—yes I acted out sometimes—they had no idea what to do with me.6

Anyway I think Aphrodite was jealous of all the attention Demeter gave me when I first moved in. Though why she would be jealous I have no idea. Her namesake, the Goddess Aphrodite was the goddess of love, beauty and, yes, sex. This modern day Aphrodite was no exception. The first day I was at school, she was supposed to show me around. She however had her own friends and her own agenda. I could clearly see however that she was worshipped by half the student body. Girls gave her little gifts to entice her to be their friends and guys practically fell over each other to stand by her side. A 21st century goddess.7

Which I guess leaves me. I’m Athena. Brown hair, hazel eyes and okay skin. The goddess I’m named after was the goddess of wisdom, war, the arts, industry, justice and skill. I guess out of all the gods and goddesses, she is the one I would like to be named after. I mean, I don’t think I’d like to be known just because I’m beautiful and a sex addict. At least Athena is smart and brave which is what I try to be. They say that she is usually accompanied by an owl and Demeter, hearing this, gave me an adorable stuffed owl my first night there. Most homes I’ve been in give me gifts like clothes or dolls or books. They think I might like them, but they weren’t thinking of me as a person when they bought the presents. This one though…touched me. Demeter planned for my arrival and I don’t mean by just setting up a room.8

Anyway after a while, we grew to be like a family. I was a little bit uneasy at first because I could see how much Demeter loved Aphrodite. In my experiences so far, there was only room for one beloved child in a family. I thought that if Demeter loved Aphrodite—which she obviously did—she couldn’t love me too. So I was difficult…standoffish…and yes I’ll admit it, a pain in the ass. Aphrodite wasn’t helping of course with her cruel little digs and immense popularity. I wanted to be friends and be accepted by my foster sister but it was hard. Demeter worked as a night nurse at the hospital so most of our evenings—when Aphrodite wasn’t out on a date of course—we were together. Oh and let me tell you we did not agree on anything! We didn’t like the same shows or the same hairstyles or the same movie stars or the same music! She liked to party and I worked my butt off for my grades because I thought that if I stayed a straight A student someone would love and be proud of me. Aphrodite called me a goody-two shoes and a dork. I called her a flirt and a sl…nevermind. We just didn’t get along. Demeter was the glue that held our messed up family together. For yes, even kind, maternal Demeter had her problems. She had been married years before and had a little boy. I saw their pictures the first night I was there and got up my courage to ask her the next day. When I did I remember Aphrodite’s contemptuous look. She obviously knew something I didn’t. 9

I hate the skeletons in the closet thing. I mean I know everyone has their secrets, but I hate not knowing and then asking the wrong question or saying the wrong thing. Luckily Demeter understood. Her husband and son died in a car accident. Demeter still wanted to be a mother, but she couldn’t stand the idea of marrying again. So, she became a foster mom. 10

I feel so bad for her. I mean it’s bad enough losing your parents but losing your husband and your child? I’ve never really been in love so I guess I can’t talk but I can imagine. Someday—after I get my life together—I wanna be a mom. I want to teach my kids everything that I know and I want them to grow up to be good people. I guess that’s really all anyone can ever really want for their kids. Demeter says that it’s all she wants for me and Aphrodite.11

I have to say now that I cannot imagine my life without my family. No matter if my mom ever does come back or my dad ever manages to clean himself up. My place is with my mom and my sister. We bonded through tragedy. We all have lost people we love. I mean they may not be dead, but they’re still lost to us. Demeter, Aphrodite and me. We were out once and someone even said that Aphrodite and I look like sisters. We took it as a compliment. We’ve learned to live together. We’ve become a family. We may not have chosen each other. In fact we were kind of thrown and forced together. Not that it matters now. What matters now is that despite Demeter’s sometimes annoying cheerfulness and Aphrodite’s obvious fixation with the male species and my sometimes know-it-all attitude we are together. Demeter is planning to adopt Aphrodite and I. It’s only been a year since I moved in, but it’s been long enough. And Demeter wants both of us! Demeter is just…so wonderful because she understands Aphrodite and I. She is adopting us at the same time because she doesn’t want us to feel insecure about who she loves more. She loves both of us equally. I found a family. And I found home.12