Mother shares the sweet story behind the 'mom' pendant gifted to her by her foster child

The foster care system can be distressful for some and also come with many complications. However, for some, it proves to be an extremely fulfilling experience like a foster mother who shared the story behind a sweet pendant. L. Joy Williams, a political strategist, shared a picture on Twitter of a gold-colored pendant that says, "Mom." She wrote alongside the picture, "The teen who joined our household in April turned 14 today. After we sang happy birthday and she opened gifts she then said she had this gift for me. Excuse me while I go to my room and bawl." 

Following the death of the eighth-grader's biological mother the previous year, she moved home with Williams in Brooklyn, New York. Williams told TODAY, "This wasn’t a neglect situation. They were best of friends. She’s shy and reserved and her mom was her person — the one she could be 100% herself around." Williams says she and her husband Miles are "very mindful of not trying to replace" biological parents. Williams has been fostering children of different ages for seven years. 

Williams added, "I can’t imagine losing my mother at such a pivotal stage in my life. While I would never seek to replace her mom, her gift of recognizing me as a bonus mom to love and nurture her through the remainder of her life means more than I can express in words." Her tweet went viral on Twitter gathering 342k views and almost 20k likes. Williams recently constructed the teen's own room in their basement so she can study and talk with friends in privacy. She said, "She likes it so much she didn’t want to go to school the other day. She absolutely loves it. She suffered a tremendous loss, and it brings me comfort when I see her laughing and acting like any other teenager."

People on Twitter were moved by their story and one user wrote, "As a former foster child, that 'mom' necklace speaks volumes. It's not just that you've done a great job 'mom,' but that she has grown to trust you to be there for her, to trust that you will always have her back, and that she has found a place to call home." Another added, "My youngest daughter joined us when she was 11. At 14 I officially adopted her, will be 14 yrs this March. She's now a mom herself. She recently gave me a big bear hug when leaving and said, 'the years with you were the happiest in my life.' " 

Another commented, "There is a very special place in the universe and in my spiritual view heaven for people such as yourself who open their home to a child. This young teen wanted you to know he/she really understands and appreciates what you’ve done and who you are." A Twitter user shared, "I am praying for you and with you! Having adopted two children over 12 and raising 4 grandsons when they began high school, this is one of those great days! Hold on to this when the challenging days come! While I don’t know you, I will continually lift you up in prayer!"