Mom to Mom is a series featuring real moms from around the Collin County area. Here they volunteer to share their personal experiences and opinions to bring forth transparency among our community of moms so we can all connect through our shared moments of joy, pain, and all that in between. When reading, please remember that nobody is perfect. We all have different opinions and circumstances, so we ask that you respect the moms who have decided to share. I hope that through this, you find comfort in knowing that you are not alone and that we are all connected in some way.
Collin County is amazing, and not just because it ranks #1 in best places to live in Texas. Collin County is a great place because it is full of awesome moms. When I decided to dedicate my blog post this month to an awesome mom, a fellow PTA member at my daughter’s school immediately popped into my head. Let me introduce you to Sheri Welch, a resident of Wylie for the past 13 years, a preschool teacher, and an advocate for impoverished families in Juarez, Mexico.
Sheri and her husband of 11 years moved to Wylie from Garland to settle in a place that offers a more “small town” feel. Granted, Wylie is expanding like crazy, but the feeling of a close-knit community is still evident throughout the city. They have three children: a 10-year-old, a 7-year-old, and a 4-year-old whom they have been fostering since birth.
Sheri, like many moms in Collin County, is a busy mama. Her days are filled with school drop-offs and pick-ups, teaching at a preschool, gymnastics, and soccer practice. She encourages her children to pursue their passions, going to great lengths to help them make their dreams a reality; however, in ways I can empathize with, she is still afraid of messing up the whole mom gig.
When I asked Sheri how her own mother has influenced her role as a mom, she answered: “To always give love before I judge. My mom was one who loved first and asked questions second, even when we were in big trouble. That perspective doesn’t always come to me naturally, so in moments of frustration, I always try to channel my mom by taking a breath and approaching difficult situations with love.”
Harboring a love of others is certainly apparent in the Welch household. Sheri and her family are involved with History Makers International, a non-profit organization whose “efforts are currently focused on the most impoverished areas of warn-torn Juarez, Mexico, where thousands of children are malnourished, unschooled, and exposed to great danger. We hope to break the cycle of poverty and restore hope to families who feel they have been forgotten.”
This organization is very important to Sheri and her family: “I feel like God has been preparing my heart for this ministry for many years,” she explains. “Starting with my love for this city many years ago to my more recent desire to see family preservation whenever possible. It’s extremely important to me that my children are involved, as well. We see some really hopeless and dire situations with some families and I pray that they are raised always knowing that they can make a difference in the world around them.”
I asked Sheri how other families in Collin County can become involved with History Makers International. She told me that her family plans a mission trip each summer (so the kids don’t miss school). “The cost is affordable and we always plan some fun outings while we are in Juarez.” Her family also does what they can to provide for the material needs of others in Juarez by running shoe and jacket drives and offering sponsorship programs to connect families here to families in Juarez. You can connect with History Makers International via their Facebook page @raiseuphistorymakers.
More to learn about Sheri:
Where do you take out-of-towners in Collin County? “We love taking friends and families to all the different events in downtown Wylie, like Boo on Ballard or Bluegrass on Ballard.”
What is the most unexpected thing you’ve discovered about yourself as a mom? “I just read this question to my husband and my 10-year-old answered: ‘Always asking about our poops!’ I can honestly say that as a young adult, I never thought I’d be so concerned with someone’s bowel movements!”
Where do you see you and your family in five years? “We talk about fostering again, but also talk about how busy life is with three kids. We need more space, but I’m not willing to move!”
What are you currently binge-watching? “Alaska the Last Frontier. This is our go-to show when the kids are in bed.”
What is your favorite kid-friendly restaurant in Collin County? “We don’t eat out a lot, but when we do we always go to Chick-fil-A”
Do you have a favorite date spot in Collin County? “We love any Mexican restaurant nearby (Chiloso, Frankie’s, Loco Gringo), but our favorite is On the Border.”
One piece of encouragement you would give a new mom to Collin County? “Get connected with other moms whom you can relate to – through your kid’s school, local mom Facebook groups, or local Mops groups.”
