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‘I Cried Last Night as I Asked My Husband if He Was Tired of Me. Because I’m Tired of Me Some Days.’

"Raising babies is hard. But I think the hardest is losing yourself. Life is flying by, and you feel lost in the middle of it."

Mom Sets Toddler in Airport With a Sign She Can’t Read—10 Seconds Later, A Man Scoops Her into His Arms

Everyone but the toddler holding the sign knew what was about to happen...

Teacher Buys Coffee for a Stranger Short on Cash, Has No Clue It’s Keith Urban

"I said he did look like Keith Urban, he said he was. I didn't believe him."

“I Received a Call. ‘We Have a 14-Year-Old Boy Who Needs a Home.’ I Was Like ‘NO Way'”: Single Mom Becomes Foster Parent to Help Families Battling Addiction

brothers sitting outside
Courtesy of Mandi Booker

Fostering is something that I had thought about for years. I always knew there were kids out there going through really hard times, and I just wanted to help somehow. I knew what my boys and I had experienced, and I thought that maybe we could help others overcome their circumstances as well. I was a single mom of two boys, doing it 100% on my own. Why in the world would I even consider being a foster parent? It wouldn’t only affect me, so I had to make sure it was right. We talked about it a lot and I told them what we might experience if we went down this road. Lord bless them, their hearts are so big and they were 100% on board. Our entire world would be turned upside down and completely changed. I prayed hard and often, and I just kept feeling a tug to jump in. My family thought I was crazy.

I went to an informational meeting in October 2018 and started training in November 2018. I officially became a licensed foster parent in February 2019. I was so scared. The idea of fostering was no longer just an idea…it was becoming a reality. The first call I got sent my heart racing. How would I make a decision? What questions should I ask to help me make that decision? What if it doesn’t work out and I become just another person who let these kids down? I was overwhelmed. I started second guessing myself. I started letting those thoughts of being unworthy or not good enough take over my mind and my heart. But in March 2019, we went from a family of three, to a family of five, overnight. I went from having two boys to having four. This was our very first placement, as well as theirs. Neither of us knew what to expect from each other. They were scared. I was scared. But the first night went well.

Courtesy of Mandi Booker
Courtesy of Mandi Booker

‘I Cried Last Night as I Asked My Husband if He Was Tired of Me. Because I’m Tired of Me Some Days.’

"Raising babies is hard. But I think the hardest is losing yourself. Life is flying by, and you feel lost in the middle of it."

Mom Sets Toddler in Airport With a Sign She Can’t Read—10 Seconds Later, A Man Scoops Her into His Arms

Everyone but the toddler holding the sign knew what was about to happen...

Teacher Buys Coffee for a Stranger Short on Cash, Has No Clue It’s Keith Urban

"I said he did look like Keith Urban, he said he was. I didn't believe him."