Transformation Through Chaos Transformation Through Chaos_Sneak Peak | Page 6

Transformation Through Chaos
My father was alive when I entered college at Florida
Agricultural and Mechanical University (FAMU) in 1982. However,
he passed away before I completed all of my college degrees. I can
say with confidence that he would have been proud of the woman
I became.
At the time of his death, my father was a practicing physician.
My mother became a widow in her forties. Life changed for her at
that moment. Sadly, my father did not have his finances in order
prior to his death and left my mother in a financial quandary. My
mother had to make some quick decisions in order to provide for
her family.
I was in college and my three brothers were high school stu-
dents when my father passed away. This was my first experience
of watching transformation through chaos take place. Basically, my
father, the primary breadwinner, is now deceased, but his family
must still survive and thrive. My mother, who was a housewife, had
to make some tough decisions and prevail at the same time.
Keep in mind my father did not leave my mother in a great
financial position. Unfortunately, my mother discovered after my
father passed away that he had cancelled all of his insurance pol-
icies. He also had some unresolved financial issues at that time. I
can only imagine the various feelings she felt during this challeng-
ing time. Yet, my mother never complained nor was she mad at my
father for the position he left her in with four children.
Here, my mother was the wife of a physician living a middle
class lifestyle. She resided in a nice neighborhood, had a few cars
in the driveway, wore nice clothing items, and had a housekeeper.
Change came quickly for my mother after she buried my father. My
mother decided to return to her native city, Miami, Florida. She
was a housewife and had not been gainfully employed during her
marriage to my father.
I realized my mother’s survivor skills kicked in and she returned
to the work force. My mother had an associate’s degree and decided
to enter the education field and became employed as a substitute
teacher. I had the privilege of watching my mother transform from
a housewife to a blossoming professional in the education field.
In the meantime, I was a junior in college during my father’s
untimely death. During this time, I had grown accustomed to being
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