Woman fosters 83 babies and counting​

​Retired grocery-cafeteria manager Linda Owens, 78, always loved babies. Jobs caring for infants led her to investigate being a foster mother for babies. The rest is history for the Hayward,

California, resident and the children who have passed through her arms. LINDA OWENS: After high school I took a full-time job babysitting an infant — even overnight sometimes, when the

parents went away. It certainly wasn’t every 19-year-old’s dream job, but I loved everything about it. Getting married was never my thing — I wasn’t interested in raising a family. Babies

are my thing.​​ Following that job, I worked at a grocery firm for 21 years, but I would always take care of people’s infants when they asked. In the mid-1980s I started noticing a woman who

would shop with different babies. So I asked about her and found out she was a foster mother. She’s the one who inspired me to get qualified to do that, and that’s when I left the company.​

After I had a lot of trainings and security checks, my first little one came to me. It was the day after Thanksgiving in 1987. I think about her often. In all, I have taken care of 83

foster infants. Each one leaves a mark on my life.​​ Usually, I’ll get a phone call from the county asking if I want to pick up a newborn. Many of these infants have had a tough beginning.

Often they’ve been exposed to drugs or alcohol in the womb. The really small babies, the ones under 5 pounds, have to eat every couple of hours. You do one feeding, a diaper change and a

burping, and it’s time to start all over. Sleep isn’t something you get much of at that stage, but I’m used to it by now, and I catch a few winks whenever I can.​​ HOW OWENS CALMS A FUSSY

​INFANT: “My soothing trick is to give them a warm bath with calming chamomile and lavender and a little baby oil.”​​ The babies stay with me for up to two years before they go to a

permanent home, whether it’s with their biological parents or to an adoptive family. It’s tough saying goodbye, but all I can do is give them a kiss on the forehead and wish them a beautiful

life. My prayer is that the love and attention I’ve offered them will give them security and trust as they go on their new adventure​​ People ask, “How can you do this all the time? Don’t

you want to travel?” No, I don’t want to travel. I’ve traveled. It’s not what I want to do. Being able to care for these babies is a gift from God, and I will do it as long as God gives me

the will and the strength and the health to do it. It has taught me that love is endless and flows in both directions. Whatever you give, you truly receive in return. _Robin Westen is a

contributing writer who covers health, lifestyle and real people features. She has  written for publications including _The New York Times _and_ Psychology Today.