“It was 12:50 p.m. A short 18 hours after taking in a new sibling placement.
I was making lunch, kids were chatting at the table, waiting on me to deliver their homemade lunch (ha-ha, that’s a joke – unless meticulously making a pizza launchable counts) And then it happened.
‘Can I call you mom?’
Nothing prepares you for it. No training, no mentor, no seasoned foster parent stories, nothing. My heart hit my feet in this very moment. The amount of emotions that flooded me cannot even be counted.
Scared – to make sure my response was the right one and was quick, certain, and without stuttering since I was totally not expecting this conversation.
Happiness – to know he felt comfortable, loved, and safe enough to want to call me mom.
Sadness, gut wrenching sadness – to know that there is a biological mom out there who is missing out on so much and must be deeply hurting inside regardless of her own faults.
Today, I heard ‘mom’ more in seven hours than I have in a very long time. He wore it out. I almost wondered if he looked for reasons to say, ‘Mom.’
And then friends, it happened yet again.
6:24 p.m. loading into the Burt Bus, my husband was helping the littles up into the back while I was in the driver’s seat cranking up the van, when I heard it…
‘Can I call you dad?’
Neither him nor my husband could see my face, but I sunk into the seat with the biggest smile while I held my breath waiting to hear my husband’s response, after the almost certain shock that had just grabbed him.
I have no idea why I looked at the clock both times this happened today. I never have before. But I did today, and I wanted to share.
Friends, please know that there are children RIGHT HERE in our community that need you. If you’ve ever thought of becoming a foster parent, I encourage you to take the leap!
And if you really truly aren’t ‘sure’, if you are interested, still feel very uncertain, I encourage you to attend an Orientation Meeting for Foster Parent training. It’s not a commitment, there’s no obligation! But it’s a wonderful way to hear and learn more.
6 years ago I didn’t realize Foster Care was a ‘big deal’ here in our area, but friends I’m here to tell you from my personal experience, there are kids RIGHT HERE who have lived in hell on earth, whose stories would have your mind spinning and stomach in knots.
They need you. They need your love. If you’ve thought about being a foster parent. Don’t wait. Do it. I promise you won’t regret it.”
This story was submittted to Love What Matters by Erica Burt, 30, of Alabama. Follow her family journey on Instagram hfere. Do you have a similar experience? We’d like to hear your important journey. Submit your own story here. Be sure to subscribe to our free email newsletter for our best stories, and YouTube for our best videos.
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