From Fed Up to Fabulous: Real stories to inspire and unite women worldwide by Mickey Roothman, Aen Turner, Kristine Overby, Regan Hillyer, Ruth Coetzee, Shuntella Richardson, Veronica Sosa Page B

a book from one page to the next. Eerily seeing similarities between my life and that of my mom’s. Not an exact replica, but too many parallels to ignore.
    My circumstances went from great to good, good to bad, and then from bad to worse. My marriage, family structure, business and investments collapsed quickly. In no way was I prepared to lose almost everything. Like my mom and dad, we appeared to be a loving, smart, attractive, and successful family. Both couples had been hard workers, but inevitably, not towards the same goals. Our divorce had been years in the making. By the time the judge granted me my freedom in the spring of 2012, attorney fees well exceeded initial quotes and the real impact would last long after leaving the courtroom.
    In one sweep – I went from being single, to getting married, becoming a mother, to filing for divorce, to being a single, divorced mom! All in one decade. Geez, what a whirlwind!  Also, in the same 10 years; my savings, credit score and retirement accounts took a huge plunge. Emotionally and structurally, I had to rebound – FAST! 
    But WAIT!
    There’s a silver lining in every cloud. The lessons that were learned are priceless. But let’s go back a few decades.
    Let the Dreams Begin
    When my parents purchased their first home on the south side of Chicago in its Englewood community, they were 26 years of age and paid for the large colonial style abode with 100% cash in hand. A huge feat for a couple with such humble beginnings. As the baby of nine and a teen unwed mother, my mom bravely relocated from Louisiana to Chicago in search of a better life for herself and daughter. Quickly she found a good paying job and a handsome, smart and ambitious man. My dad grew up in Chicago’s Robert Taylor homes. With hopes of the g ood life, the eldest of seven sought to work and be an entrepreneur. They married and added three additional children.
    As the eldest of my sister and two brothers, growing up would prove to be challenging. Once a nice place to raise a family, our streets would be overcome by crime, poverty, alcoholism, and drugs. To the point of having the barrel of a gun placed in my mouth, as friends and I were questioned by a drug dealer about a missing drug stash. I was 10! But from the ages of five to 17, this neighborhood is where my dreams took root. 
    During my teens, visions of a grander life was fueled by long car rides on Saturday nights and reading. An uncle would drive alongside the roads of the wealthy. Manicured lawns, expensive cars parked on curved driveways paved with cobblestone, and enormous estates on acres and acres of land. Nothing like the daily view to the bus stop heading to and from high school. While a freshman, the English instructor assigned the reading of “Black Boy” by Richard Wright. The thought immediately caused anxiety. There wasn’t a bookstore along the bus route and even if there was, my weekly lunch and travel funds were allotted. At 13 budgeting was already a growing skillset, and there were no extras! Luckily, my dad loved to read and collect books during his many flea market expeditions. Over time, he had amassed a vast library. Authors such as, Zig Ziglar, Adam Smith, Dale Carnegie, Jim Collins and Napoleon Hill -- to name just a few flanked the shelves. The book was there, and as the saying goes, “the rest is history”. On those metal shelves, in those books, another world existed. My desire to read exploded and a connection to "If they can do it, so can I" started taking shape.  
    Although exposure to outstanding literature fueled my mind’s eye, high school continued to be a sore spot.  A smart kid, but struggled socially and emotionally. Family dynamics of feuding parents left the kids in the household often unsettled. My dad being quite ambitious and my mom being such a hard worker, the ongoing fighting and feeling misunderstood, sent me from one residence to the next, of family and friends. A strong desire for