American Mothers, Inc.

I live near a city that is famous for its bright lights. Lights that guide individuals from all over the world to great entertainment and wonderful buffets. But, those of us who live in the communities that surround that famous Las Vegas strip, we know that the meaningful lights are the guiding lights of a mother as she teaches her children, is an example to them and advocates for their unmet needs in the community and schools.

We can all agree that we are raising children in troubled times. It is absolutely essential that we teach our children of a God who knows them by name, who loves them and will answer their prayers.

As mothers, we need to stand up and speak out on issues that are moral and just. We need to be the example to our children so that they will have the courage to do the same when the need exists in their lives.

When I was a young mother with little ones at home, I realized my responsibility to raise and nurture the babies God had blessed me with. It wasn’t long however, when I found something outside the home that I just knew I needed to be apart of. So, my husband and I became licensed foster parents and for many years we fostered and adopted children in need of families. When the children grew older I became a child advocate. I would like to share an experience I have had while advocating for a seventeen year old boy named Anthony who is a foster child.

When I went to interview Anthony I asked him the typical question I would ask any teenager. “Anthony, you are almost eighteen years old, tell me what your dream is for your future.” His answer was different than any teenager I had ever interviewed before. His answer was simple yet heartfelt. He said, “When I was born, my mother was taken away from me and put in prison, and I never saw her again! I wasn’t a lucky foster kid; I was raised in group homes and even an institution. They kept telling me there just weren’t enough foster families to go around. My dream for my future is one thing. I want to get married and have kids. You see, if I have a wife and children, I will finally have a real family of my own.”

I believe it is the responsibility of every American mother to not only shine her guiding lights for the children in her home, but, to shine her lights into the community so that all children can benefit. We can do this as we go to the schools and volunteer our time, as we support laws that protect the rights of children, as we teach and encourage our children to friendship those at school who are without active mothers in their lives and invite them to our homes so we can share the love of our family with them, and for those of us who can, foster and adopt children in need of families.

I am convinced that if we do this together, mother to mother across the nation, the world will soon find out that it is not the bright lights of your city that are so significant, but rather the guiding lights of a mother as she makes a difference in the home, community, nation and the world.

 Laurie Richardson found herself advocating for children at an early age. As a teenager she realized that her life dream was to be married, have a family and to advocate for children who were without families. During the last thirty years Laurie has addressed children’s needs by advocating within the school districts for foster children as well as all children with disabilities. She teaches parenting classes, and collaborates with schools and the community to address the issues of children involved in domestic violence. Laurie and her husband are the parents of seven children, four they adopted as foster children. She is the grandmother of nine. In her spare time she sings with the Saints Unified Voices, a gospel choir directed by Gladys Knight.  Laurie was named the 2006 National Mother of the Year ®.