MOT H ER'S DAY
by Camy Reynolds • camy@myjarrell.com photo courtesy Priscilla King/Facebook
Jarrell's Mom
J
arrell's Priscilla King wanted nothing more in life than to be a mother and have a large family, but when she found out she could not bear children she knew that wasn’t the end of her dream. Since beginning her foster journey in 1998, she has fostered more than 100 children, with a special affection for kids from difficult backgrounds or who had obstacles. She says, "I fell in love with children others might categorize as difficult or too far gone, because I didn’t see them that way. I just saw an opportunity to love, provide a safe environment, and just allow them to be children." She says foster care is a wonderful opportunity; one that showed her a world she would not otherwise have experienced. Her kids taught her to be compassionate, gave her an opportunity to be a missionary right in her own backyard, and enriched her life. She is especially blessed by her adopted children; Christopher, Elizabeth, Roxanne, Lillian, and Lisa, whom she taught to be independent and compassionate, and even inspired to become foster and adoptive parents themselves.
TO INSPIRE OTHERS Friends Robin Barfield and Dan Hartman know Priscilla to be a strong woman who loves serving the Lord. "She is humble, compassionate, and giving," Robin says. "She has a way of making people feel special." Dan adds, "She would give her last dollar to help someone feed their children. She has this special ability to mentor you without even knowing she’s doing it." One of her hallmarks was taking advantage of teachable moments. Brenda Cooper, another close friend, remembers a time Priscilla taught her to make pickles. "We sat on the porch washing cucumbers and she just poured into the kids while she worked. Above all else, she showed love and patience." 16
M AY 2021 MY JA R R ELL M O NT HLY
Priscilla's kids were happy to share more intimate experiences. "She’s like the energizer bunny," Lisa says. "She saved my life at 10 months old and for that I am forever grateful. If I could pick one quality to implement in my life it would be to embrace her nurturing side, which inspired me to foster and adopt. I don’t know when that door will open but I definitely know it’s one my husband and I will walk through when the time comes." Priscilla's son, Christopher, also adopted as an infant, agrees; "She was very nurturing but also provided structure for all the kids. If they had a problem she would comfort them, then walk them through steps to a solution. She’s very pragmatic and always a constant." He gives great praise for her brilliance as well; "She opened and operated a business at a time when a lot of women didn’t. I don't know how she did it all, but she still always had plenty of love to go around." Daughter Elizabeth says, "Despite all our baggage. mom took us all in and through her love and actions she made us into the people we are today. It wasn’t always an easy journey, but mom did it with grace and compassion. She molded me to be independent, taught me compassion, and is my very best friend."
BEYOND HER OWN HOME As a foster mom, Priscilla soon realized there was a lack of child care in Jarrell. In 1984, she opened Windy Hill School, the first child development center in Williamson County. She says, "It was a natural extension of loving my kids to do something so important; create a place that taught and challenged all children rather than just babysitting them. In the 18 years it operated, we were fortunate to help thousands." She says she is forever grateful to God that He allowed her to have a life so rich and full, and that He would allow her to reach the number of children that she did.
