At the age of 12, I came home one day to find it padlocked by the county sheriff. My family was homeless, my father was in trouble with the law and my mom had to scramble to find us an apartment in a two-family home in Irvington, NJ.
It was rough. We had no beds. We kept
perishables in a cooler. My mom scrapped up some cash to gain access to our old place to get 30 mins to take what she could. No matter what was going on, she made sure that we went to the library to get school work done and that we didn't miss one day of school. Even when all
was going to sh!t, she knew. She knew that education was going to give this family a chance to break the cycle and change the tide.
My mom worked two, sometimes three jobs to eventually furnish the house. A refigerator. Beds. A dining room set from the secondhand store. She made
apartment into a home. Eleven years later, she made it into her home when she bought that two-family house.
Thank you for being the example, Mom. Through your struggle and accomplishments, you have taught me lessons that I will carry for the rest of my life.