I HAD FIVE MOMS…AND 3 DADS

Mother's Day always has me thinking, pondering, and evaluating the true meaning of a mom. My brother, Steve, put it best when he said "even though we didn't have our birth mother in our lives, we did have several moms.

My five moms were: 1) Barbara Ann Black, my birth mother, died in a car wreck when I was 2 years old.

2) Naomi Scott, the angel who cooked, cleaned, nurtured, loved, and saved me and my 4 siblings. 3) Beth Morgan Black, the troubled adopted mother who tried and failed to take care of us 4) Charlotte Geary, another angel and savior to us and the first foster mom, mother of "many" (3 of the 5 of us and 4 of her own plus an exchange student) and 5} Kelley Stroup, a kind, loving sweet foster mom who cared for me and my siblings in an independent foster home.

Father's Day will be around the corner and that is another "thoughtful day". So, the 3 dads were: My Biological dad, the father of 8 children, Spencer Frank Black, died at the controls of his plane when I was 6 years old. 2) Joe Geary, foster dad, and father of many with a huge heart and love of children. 3) Vernon Stroup, a kind and loving foster dad.

As a child, I was sad on Mother's Day, I was mad on "Mother's Day", I was jealous on "Mother's Day, and I was embarrassed on Mother's Day. Sad because I didn't know my birth mother, mad at God because he took my birth mother and let chaos into my life. Jealous because I wanted a mom and family like other kids had. And, embarrassed because of all the reasons and questions of why I was in foster care.

But God has been taking care of me for a long time. I survived, I thrived, I now know my purpose, and I also have peace because I know that I will not get answers here on Earth. I wasted too many years trying to understand and trying to get answers. It only took me 60+ years to figure this out! Amen.

So, there are many ways to define a "Mother", but the fact that whoever that "Mother" was or is in your life, is someone to be honored on Mother's Day. So, with very mixed emotions, I honor each one of my five moms. I have had the privilege and the honor to be the mother of two fine young men. They had a mom who truly had to learn day by day how to be a mom.

I am rewriting my story "My Five Moms" when I get a minute, because the story has many more chapters and I have developed more empathy and sympathy for the one who failed me.

May God Bless Us All, Susie Black Holamon

Founder and President of Geary Foster Foundations

Authorof: "MyFiveMoms",available on our website: www.gearyfosterfoundations.org