When we look at the amazing things that some people are able to do, we often think that they were made specifically for that reason. Of course, an individual can grow to love something and may even become an expert over the course of time but there are others who just seem to pick up the ball and begin running with it from the very start. That was the case with a woman named Linda Owens. She is a 78-year-old retired grocery store manager, but that isn’t what her life was all about. She is a foster mother and over the course of the past 34 years, she has fostered 81 babies.
Linda feels as if this is exactly what she was supposed to do. When a baby is born and they need a foster mother, they may come to her home and stay with her for a number of weeks or perhaps even months. The babies will eventually find somebody who is able to adopt them, but they stay with Linda until that takes place. At times, she may care for two babies at the same time, but each child is a labor of love. She even calls it a challenging job but something that is very rewarding.
When a baby is adopted and eventually leaves Linda’s home, she doesn’t simply let them go. She helps the new parent to learn a little bit more about caring for the baby and gives tips to help with everything from feeding to helping them sleep through the night. Linda realizes there are a lot of challenges involved with raising a child, after all, she has raised 81 of them for a short amount of time.
Although Linda admits that it is difficult to say goodbye to the children, she does know that it’s for the greater good. The children are going to end up in a loving home and she has an opportunity to help yet another child to get to the same point.
