Part II: Mansfield woman credits Lookenott family for saving her life
July 5, 2018
Juli Parsons of Mansfield, is forever grateful for Randy and Barb Lookenott, who served as her foster parents during her adolescence. She believes they saved her life. Richland Source
EDITOR'S NOTE: This is the second story in a two-part series on a Mansfield couple who has an extensive history as foster parents. Part II details the impact the couple had on one of their foster children.
MANSFIELD - Raindrops thumped against South Park pavilion's roof as Mansfield's Juli Parsons took cover from the rain, planting herself at one of the benches.
Just as the pavilion provided her shelter, the park itself has served as her refuge over the years. A place where she could go to unload, to cry, to escape.
"It was the place that I came to when things were really hard," she recollected.
Growing up with an alcohol- and prescription-drug-addicted single mother made Juli's childhood challenging. It was normal for Juli to watch as her mother did things like rip the phone out of the wall.
A relative helped Juli's mother get into detox and Juli, 12 at the time, went to live with one of her uncles. She later stayed with another relative before going to live with a foster family.
Terrified and dejected, Juli had no idea what to expect.
"Basically, a caseworker showed up to school and said, "Oh, you're moving to a foster home." And I was scared. I was terrified," she said.
Little did she know that she was moving into a place where she would finally feel like she belonged.
"They saved my life"
Juli was a bit skeptical as she took a seat at Randy and Barb Lookenott's dinner table for the first time.
"I thought she (Barb) had made dinner because the caseworker was there," she said. "I did not expect that that was actually going to continue."
Juli's mother prepared food for the holidays, but more often than not, Juli was left to fend for herself when it came to meals.
"Part of what alerted Children Services is I got busted for stealing food at the grocery store," she said.
Her skepticism dwindled and ultimately vanished as time wore on and the Lookenotts "who have an extensive history as foster parents" treated Juli as one of their own.
Up to that point, Juli's wardrobe was minimal and could fit inside a plastic grocery bag. Barb insisted a shopping trip was in order.
"With the Lookenotts, there was predictability; there was kindness," Juli said.
She knew she could count on them and was continually in awe of their generosity.
"The thing that I remember the most is the first time Madre (Barb) came to me and said, 'What would you like me to buy for you at the grocery store," she recounted, her voice breaking.
It was a stark contrast to before when she stole food to feed herself.
"There was so much that happened, and they don't even think they did anything, you know," she said.
She decided to give them nicknames, dubbing them "Padre and Madre."
"I was taking Spanish at the time and basically I wanted them to have an area of honor... they deserved more than just first-name basis because of how much they had blessed me," she said. "They saved my life."
Beauty from ashes
Juli spent four years with the Lookenotts and has maintained a relationship with Madre and Padre since leaving their care at 17.
"They are my parents. They are my kids' grandparents," she said. "And I mean they weren't perfect by any means. They made mistakes, too, but when I needed something, they were there."
Moreover, they believed in her and encouraged her to pursue what she's passionate about, simply giving her art supplies fueled her fire of becoming an artist.
"The investment that they made in me was tremendous. I mean, I don't think they even knew where they breathed life into me until like much later," she said. "And that's the thing - I'm doing what I'm doing because they gave me paints."
Juli operates her own stained glass business, Lasercraft Enterprises, which began not long after she moved into a house with shattered windows.
She could have thrown the broken glass away, but instead decided to use it to make a work of art.
In the same way, she views her life as a mosaic, firmly believing in the idea that "God takes the broken pieces of your life and makes a stained glass window."
Every hardship, every trial she's encountered has enabled her to empathize and relate with those who experience similar situations.
"That's what God does with the broken places in our life," she said.
Paying it forward
Juli believes each person has value. Her faith and relationship with the Lookenotts has inspired her to help people realize that they are treasured.
As coordinator of the Fun in the Park program, Juli oversees various activities for people of all ages- from gardening, to fused glass, stories and crafts, improvisation, mobility for life and more.
"Kids that are hurt or neglected will destroy, so if we can show them, " Look here are different things you can do," she said.
The Lookenotts did that for Juli - "They bought me paints," she said.
"There were pieces, big pieces, that they were not even aware that they were putting in place."
She hopes to do the same with others.
"Everybody has a story; everybody is valuable," she said.
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