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SALT LAKE CITY — It’s been said that music can soothe the soul.
“It feels like there is no worry in the world,” said Gustavo, the Wednesday’s Child for the week. “It’s just me and my guitar, I guess.”
Gustavo is used to doing things on his own. He bought his own guitar and taught himself how to play.
“I’ve really only played by myself,” he said.
On Wednesday, he didn’t play alone as the 14-year-old was invited to jam in a real recording studio at Spy Hop in Salt Lake City.
“We’re just making music with the beats,” he said with a smile.
With each note and each strum of the chord, Gustavo got more comfortable and began to talk about things that don’t come as easy as the guitar.
“I remember it was my birthday and that was the day my dad went to jail and then to prison,” Gustavo said of the day he entered foster care. “I was really young so I can’t really remember much.”
Through it all, the guitar has offered Gustavo an escape.
“I just wanted to learn how to play music,” he said.
He’s lived in state custody for about eight years now and he is ready to be adopted.
“I’m kind of done moving around now and I really actually want to have a family,” he said.
Even after all this time, he still has hope that there is a family for him. However, sometimes hope can be a tricky thing.
“Most of the time I think it will happen and I’ll get adopted,” he said. “Other times, not so much.”
Lately, fear has come creeping in.
“I just think that I’m going to age out and then just have to live on my own I guess,” he said.
That’s what happened to his two older siblings. He hasn’t seen them in years.
There is still time for Gustavo to be adopted.
“I don’t want to just be some other (foster) kid in their family,” he said. “I want to actually be a part of the family.”
On this day, music once again brought peace to the young man, and in his song, he finds a strength to keep going.
To learn more about Gustavo or the many other children living in the Utah foster care system, contact The Utah Adoption Exchange at 801-265-0444 or at www.adoptex.org.
