This year, I’m a different kind of mother than I’ve ever been before… A foster mother. 

For a few years we struggled with infertility. Those were the years in which Mother’s Day was a day I dreaded.  Then along came our two boys, and I am so thankful to be able to be a mother to them. They have changed me and touched my life in a way I never knew was possible. 

Today I loved going to my youngest son’s school and watched a cute Mother’s Day play his class performed, and had coffee while my son ate my muffin. 😀 I enjoyed the artwork he created for me, including a painted stone ladybug that now sits in a special spot in our backyard. 

This year, I have two more children that I am caring for. And actually, since my last blog, we have had the sudden and unwelcome news that we needed to move, and we have recently moved about 3 miles down the road from where we previously lived. Unfortunately, in the foster care system, kids can’t move to a new house until it’s gone through a home inspection- so we’ve been separated from these children while moving and getting everything ready for our new home inspection. 

 Thankfully, my foster children have been temporarily placed with another family in our church during our move, so I was able to see them at church last week. My foster daughter gave me a big hug- too young to understand all that is going on, she calls me Momma. My 3-year-old foster son, though, wouldn’t even look at me. He resisted my efforts to give him a hug. I fear that he thinks we’ve given up on him and sent him away. It broke my heart. 

A few days ago, he had a “Muffins with Mom”celebration planned in his daycare- and I didn’t want him to be without a mother on this Mother’s Day celebration. 

So, with some trepidation, I went to be his mom for the “Muffins with Mom” breakfast. I wondered if he would even look at me. I’d been praying that he would know we are getting his new room ready, that we plan for him to come back, that we haven’t rejected him. 

See, he has a mother other than me. But I’ve been the one here for him when his real mom can’t be, who kisses his boo-boos, packs his lunches, and cuddles with him while watching his favorite movie, Toy Story, in the mornings. 
I sat down near the front so I could see his program. He enthusiastically did the hand motions to “He’s got the whole world in His hands.”  He especially liked the part about God holding even the little babies in His hands. Then, for his big and unanticipated finale- much to the horror of all the teachers and other moms – he ended with a big stage dive!  He started crying and a red spot appeared on his head. 

Afraid he might not want me near, I still went to the front to check on him- when he saw me, he reached for me, and let me hold him and make him feel better. My heart was warmed. Quickly recovered, he asked me if he could “jump again.”  I love this child. 

We made our way to the tables set out with juice and muffins. Each child had a made a laminated placemat with their handprints that said “Muffins with Mom 2016.”  My foster son proudly showed me his placemat- and it said, “Muffins with Ms Karen” (which is what he calls me). 

That meant so much to me. The teachers knew I would come. He let me hold him, and told me he’s ready to go home (my house). He knows I’m not his “real” mom, but we have a mother-son relationship. 

And I thought, there are so many children like him who either have no mom or can’t be with their mom this Mother’s Day- maybe if I had known this when Mother’s Day was a day I dreaded, I could have reached out to be a mother figure to kids like this even before I had kids of my own. Motherhood is not easy, and I’m far from perfect, but as I have learned from the example of my own mom, being there as a mother changes the lives of those you parent. 

Lord Jesus, thank You so much for my biological children and foster children. Open our eyes to see those children around us who may need a mother figure, and show us how to be there for them, especially this Mother’s Day weekend.