Transformation Through Chaos Transformation Through Chaos_Sneak Peak | Page 7

Dr. Cornelia Wenze
financially supported by my parents. I found myself faced with a
new reality that did not include my father, the breadwinner.
I returned to college the day after my father’s burial. My mother
expressed to me that I had to return to college and finish what I
had started. She assured me that she and my brothers would be just
fine. I did as she instructed me to, although I had some mixed emo-
tions. Yes, I was concerned for the well-being of my mother and
younger brothers.
I questioned how my family would make it now that my father
had passed away. My oldest brother was a senior and the twins were
sophomores. Also, my mother discovered several days after the burial
of my father that her eldest son was going to become a teen parent.
My eldest brother took into consideration the position my
mother was in and elected to join the military after he graduated.
He took responsibility for his actions and did what he had to that
would allow him to take care of the child that was on the way. In
the m idst of all these occurrences, I found myself quickly maturing
and my focus changed.
I was always a superb student, but did not fully apply myself the
first two years of college. Let’s just say I elected to party with no
purpose in mind. Yet, in my junior year, my mindset shifted from
“party minded” to “education focused.”
My father was gone and my mother had to adapt and press for-
ward. It would have been unfair for me to waste time and be incon-
siderate of my mother and the challenges she faced as a widow
responsible for three teenage sons. I did well the last two years of
college and graduated with a Bachelor of Science degree in 1986.
Upon graduation from college, I returned home and resided
with my mother and twin brothers. My eldest brother joined the
military after graduation from high school and no longer resided in
the home. During this time, my mother was employed as an educa-
tor and my twin brothers were in high school.
Life was different for my family now. My mother worked end-
lessly to support her family. Although my twin brothers were in
high school, they were employed as well. The twins decided to seek
employment at the age of 17 to assist my mother. This is something
that my eldest brother or I had never experienced because during
our high school years, my father was alive and supported the family.
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