Ambrosia loves cats, pageants and poking fun at her mother. Her ability to find joy in everyday things hasn’t come easily. She had an unstable early life, living in 15 different foster homes over eight years. It was a time Ambrosia describes as “scary.” When she was 13, Ambrosia’s life changed, thanks to a woman looking to be the right mother for the right child.
Dealing with Doubts
Sandy Webber knew she wanted to be a mom. She was open to adopting an older child but wasn’t confident about single parenting. “It took a lot of encouragement to take this step,” Sandy said. “When the social workers at Children’s Home gave me information about several teenagers, that’s when I knew I could do this. Especially when I learned about Ambrosia.” Sandy remembers the energy in the room changing the moment Ambrosia’s profile was presented to her.
“Everyone was so positive. When I met her, I saw why — a teenage girl with a strong personality and a great sense of humor. A spitfire at 13!” That first meeting in August 2017 led to Sandy becoming Ambrosia’s foster mother. The adoption was finalized less than a year later. Ambrosia, now 16, appreciates she got to start over with a new home, a loving mother and cats. Of the three cats in the household, Ambrosia has a strong bond with one, Rosie. “She has been a big part of my healing,” said Ambrosia.
Navigating the Mother-Daughter Relationship
Sandy and Ambrosia are working through living in a COVID focused, socially distanced world. They acknowledge it hasn’t always been easy. Ambrosia admits some of her troubling behaviors might have been a way to test Sandy’s commitment. “When my mom didn’t give up on me, she proved to me she was here to stay.”
Sandy — nicknamed “Fun Size” by her much taller daughter — knows full well this is a forever-commitment. “I’ve found out that I’m a lot stronger than I realized.”
Ambrosia recently competed in her first pageant, an experience Sandy said transformed her daughter’s confidence and poise. Unlike other girls her age who may be striving for greater independence, Ambrosia is perfectly content to lean on her mother.
“It’s like the line from one of my favorite books,” Ambrosia said. “’I’ll love you forever, I’ll like you for always. As long as I’m living, my mommy you’ll be.’ I love my mom that I have.” Sandy is quick to add, “And I love my daughter that I have. It’s a privilege to be Ambrosia’s mom.”
