Bear with me while I rebuild my family page.
On March 4, 1947 I was introduced to the world. A couple of minutes later, my sister Susan made her appearance. As Sophia of the Golden Girls would say, "we was poor"! Mom wanted the best for her little girls, so she allowed an aunt and uncle (my father's brother) to legally adopt us and give us the life we deserved (or so she thought!!). After a turbulent ride through childhood and my teens, I chucked the whole scene and shortly after my 18th birthday I flew the coop with only a change of clothes and a $2.00 bill. The next 9 months lead me through the wildest ride of my life. I quit school in order to work full time (I had to support myself) and learn the "facts of life". Along the line, I was reunited with my birth mom and eventually moved in with my newfound family. I tried going back to school, but it interfered with my social life so I quit again. And then I met the man who would eventually become my husband. Matt was good for me (at least for awhile) - he insisted I return to school and get my diploma. On my 19th birthday we became engaged and 3 months later we were married - less than 2 weeks after my high school graduation.
Thirteen years and five kids later, I realized my life had to change if I wanted to survive another day. I filed for divorce and on October 26, 1979 I became a single parent. Of course, divorce has a tendency to change your life in more ways than one. Instead of relying on a husband to pay the bills, I had to rely on an ex-husband to pay child support (which didn't go far!!). I had always worked but had been on and off of medical leave since knee surgery in 1978. Unfortunately, I was unable to return to my job due to the many restrictions my doctor had placed on me, so I swallowed my pride and applied for welfare.
Two years of poverty had really taken it's toll on my family. I needed a job but the array of work experience I had accumulated was no longer available due to my growing disability. Some of my neighbors had been given the opportunity to take classes at the local community college and suggested I might want to do the same. Yeah, right!!! I was 33 and the mother of 5 - I didn't belong in school!!! That's not to say that I didn't keep the option in the back of my mind and even went so far as to apply for financial aid, but when it came time to register for classes I always got cold feet. It took another year and lots of convincing before I finally took the plunge!
Talk about being scared!!! It had been 16 years since I graduated from high school - what if I was the oldest and dumbest one in the class? My fears, however, were all for naught. Two and a half years later I graduated with honors from Oakland Community College with an Associates in Applied Science (Accounting). I continued at OCC for another year and received a scholarship to Walsh College, one of the most prestigious business schools in Michigan. By January of 1985, it seemed my life was finally on track. Aside from attending Walsh, I had secured a full-time position as an entry level accountant. But the stress of school, 3 jobs (one full-time and 2 part-time), family responsibilities and the lack of a social life finally took it's toll on my health. By April I found myself struggling to make it through another day and I knew something had to give and it did. I quit Walsh and a couple of weeks later I was laid off from my job. I returned to OCC and changed my major to Social Science. In 1986 I transferred to Michigan State University with the intention of earning a degree in Adult Education. Since then I've earned my Bachelor of Arts degree in Elementary Education (major in Social Science and minor in English), a Master of Arts in Adult Education, and a Master of Science in Community Service. I have also completed the coursework toward a Doctorate in Family Resource Management but have left the program - the stress was intolerable.
I tend to keep myself busy with an array of hobbies, all of which are dependent on the amount of pain I'm in on that particular day. During the Spring and Summer months you can usually find me outside either working in the garden or just enjoying nature. Other hobbies include ceramics (making and painting), refinishing old or antique furniture and wood crafting. Writing poetry and satire has been a love of mine since high school (samples of my writing may be found by clicking on the poetry link) although recently my writing has taken on a more serious twist, focusing on an issue which demands serious attention - Domestic Violence. I have provided a link to my domestic violence website and hope you will take the time to read it and pass along any information from the site to those who may benefit from it.
My family has always been an important part of my life. I have never been, nor will I ever be, rich in the monetary sense, but I am rich at heart because I have a loving family.
We all want the best for our children but sometimes the circumstances warrant giving up the best in order to make life better. To say my kids do not bear the scars of growing up in a poverty-ridden single-parent household would be a lie, but those scars would have been much greater if I remained in a marraige riddled with abuse. Even though they often voiced their opinion regarding chores and the lack of money for those "luxury" items (such as a piece of meat to go along with the mac & cheese), my children did learn many valuable lessons which they have taken with them into the adult world.
Once your kids leave the nest, it seems to get harder and harder to get them all in one place at the same time for a group photo, but somehow I did it!!! Starting from the left: Angie, Christine, Martin, Kimberly and Matt. Want to know more about my children and grandchildren? Click your mouse on any highlighted name or picture. P.S. I might even tell you some secrets!!!
Links to other sites on the Web
Martin's World Wide Homepage
poetry in motion
Scooter and Sashi
Jan's Crafts
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