“Love Like a Mama” - words of encouragement from a Big Spring mother and author

An encouraging word can go a long way. Having an encouraging word for each day of the year from others who are in the same boat and can understand the pressure, thoughts, and overwhelming feelings at times, can be a source of inspiration and motivation. Local resident and mother Lila Harrison King understand the importance of having someone lift you up and used that as the inspiration for her new book Love Like a Mama, encouragement for each day of the year.

“Covid has been the cause of a lot of things; it was what served as the inspiration for this book,” Lila Harrison, author of Love Like a Mama, said. “Back in March when the kids came home from Spring Break and never went back. Seeing friends and family and people on social media just really discouraging and having a hard time took me back when I first became a mom.”

King is a mother of three adopted children, and as she saw the numerous posts on social media reflecting the discouragement and overwhelming feelings that began to flood mothers and families that were suddenly thrown into a new way of life, it took her back to seven years ago when she first became a mother almost overnight.

King and her husband had started the adoption process of two siblings from Haiti after 10 years of marriage. During the process of waiting for the finalization, another child came into their lives that was in need of a loving home.

“Basically within 65 days of welcoming our youngest, Jeremiah, into our home, we received word that we were good to go on the girl’s visas. We went from no kids in the first 10 years of marriage to three kids within two months.”

As the family welcomed the girls – ages 4 and 6 – into the home, adjustments were made as the language barrier and culture shock had to be overcome. The original plan was altered as the family began the adjustment process and the working mom life which was originally planned by King turned into a stay at home mom.

“We went from a two person income with no kids to a single person income with three kids,” she said.

“With the switch to being a one income family happened, it meant my husband – who owns his own business – was working longer hours to provide for our family.

HERALD photo/Amanda Duforat Copies of Love Like a Mama can be purchased locally or now on Amazon as well. Local Big Spring mother Lila Harrision wrote this as an avenue of providing support for mothers.