Jamie, a foster mother, didn’t think the moment when she welcomed her two-year-old girl into her home would go viral. But it did after Jamie shared their story on Facebook and revealed all that transpired since then. It turns out that this new little girl has already lived in four different homes prior to coming to Jamie’s–in just her short life of two years. And despite all of that turmoil, Jamie says it’s been worth every second she’s spent as a foster mother thus far.
The young girl had only been in the foster care system for a few months, but she’d already stayed at several homes. This lack of stability was hard on her emotionally. Even though the toddler was used to being shuffled around, Jamie wanted her to feel loved and special now that she was with her.
Jamie gave the girl a tour of her home after she arrived, showing her where everything was located. Then, the little said something that left Jamie speechless and inspired her to share the story via social media.
The following post was written by Jamie and published on the Love What Matters Facebook page. Since then, it has been shared thousands of times.
“She walks in confidently and with a smile. She knows the drill. In her two years of life, she’s spent five months in foster care. In her five months in care, she’s been in four different homes. I get down on my knees and say, ‘Hi, sweetie. My name is Jamie. I’m so glad you’ve come to stay with us. Do you want to go meet the kids?’
“The other kids are the welcoming committee, the tour guides, and the concierge service for our little residence (‘You’re here! Want to see your bed? Want a baby doll? Want a snack? I love you!’). They’re the key to a new child feeling at home.
Nothing makes me feel prouder of my bios than watching them do this. Nothing makes my fosters feel more like ‘mine’ than watching them follow suit.
She wanders around with the other kids for approximately 11 minutes before she runs into the room with a smile and says, ‘Look, mommy!’ To me. The woman she met 11 minutes before.
To this little girl, ‘mommy’ meant the female adult of the house, the lady who reached something you couldn’t and refilled your juice. Having five ‘mommies’ in five months, she hadn’t yet had the chance to learn what mommy meant.
Mommy meant falling asleep on shoulders, kissing skinned knees, teaching ABCs. Mommy meant helping with homework, whispering about friends, and sitting outside dressing rooms. Mommy meant taking pictures at graduation, hugging on wedding day, and cuddling grandchildren. Mommy meant security. Mommy meant commitment. Mommy meant life-long love.
She was only two years old, though, with a biological mom working hard to get her back and a foster mom willing to step in if she couldn’t. This little girl had the hope of learning that mommy isn’t just what you call a female who helps you, of forgetting that mommy could ever be just a name. This little girl would know what mommy meant. This little girl would have a mommy.”
More than 20,000 people liked Jamie’s post, and it was shared more than 2,000 times.
