I feel like I need to break it up into more paragraphs, and I think the ending could be stronger, but I need to take a step back so any perspectives and edits would be welcome!
I had imagined pregnancy as a time of joy, pampering, and expectant hope, and for the first few weeks of 2008 I lived that dream. When my husband and I found out we were expecting our first child, my parents were thrilled, my in-laws excited, and my husband adoring. Then things started to change. My husband started quitting jobs with no warning or explanation, going through three jobs in four months. He sank into a deep depression and ignored my pleas for him to seek counseling. His behavior became erratic, as he accused me of everything from hiding money to never really loving him. I did my best to hold our life together, until the night he woke up at three in the morning, accused me of hiring assassins to kill him, and chased me out of the house with a gun while screaming about the microchips I had implanted in his freckles. I made it out of the house unharmed that night, but my life as I knew it was over. My father-in-law checked my husband into a mental hospital, and after being released and relapsing, my husband has spent eight months in and out of state mental facilities on involuntary commitment orders.
In college, I had thought that I would seek out a higher degree. However when I graduated and got married, furthering my education took a backseat to the day to day realities of work and marriage. I achieved many things as a manager at my company, including drafting the company's human resources policies, managing the claims process during some of the worst natural disasters in American history, and creating lasting infrastructure for the claims process. I was happy with the level of success I had achieved, and I wasn't seeking to broaden my horizons. When I lost my husband to mental illness, I was shocked out of that complacency. I realized quickly that I needed to control what I could and make the best of the situation because in five months, I would be the sole source of emotional and financial support for my newborn son.
My husband's situation left me in a precarious emotional and financial situation. I decided early that focusing on what I had lost would not be productive. I budgeted fastidiously, and was able to pay the bills without going into further debt. I stayed healthy throughout my pregnancy. I focused on work, drafting a successful proposal for my company to become independent contractors for the largest property insurer in Florida. I looked ahead and created a catastrophe logistics plan to see the company through my maternity leave- a plan that paid off for my company when Hurricane Ike hit Texas ten days after I gave birth. And when it became clear that my husband would never again be a safe or sane person, I filed for divorce.
I realize that attending University of Alabama Law School as a single mother will not be easy. I am fortunate to have a sibling who is an undergraduate at Alabama and is willing to help me with childcare. As a single parent, I have experience balancing the demands of work with my son's needs. Working at a company with a bring your child to work policy has taught me to multi-task and prioritize efficiently. My experiences have shown me that I am stronger than I ever knew I was, and I will persevere toward my goals through any obstacles, because I know those hurdles will shape me into the lawyer, mother, and person that I will become.
I had imagined pregnancy as a time of joy, pampering, and expectant hope, and for the first few weeks of 2008 I lived that dream. When my husband and I found out we were expecting our first child, my parents were thrilled, my in-laws excited, and my husband adoring. Then things started to change. My husband started quitting jobs with no warning or explanation, going through three jobs in four months. He sank into a deep depression and ignored my pleas for him to seek counseling. His behavior became erratic, as he accused me of everything from hiding money to never really loving him. I did my best to hold our life together, until the night he woke up at three in the morning, accused me of hiring assassins to kill him, and chased me out of the house with a gun while screaming about the microchips I had implanted in his freckles. I made it out of the house unharmed that night, but my life as I knew it was over. My father-in-law checked my husband into a mental hospital, and after being released and relapsing, my husband has spent eight months in and out of state mental facilities on involuntary commitment orders.
In college, I had thought that I would seek out a higher degree. However when I graduated and got married, furthering my education took a backseat to the day to day realities of work and marriage. I achieved many things as a manager at my company, including drafting the company's human resources policies, managing the claims process during some of the worst natural disasters in American history, and creating lasting infrastructure for the claims process. I was happy with the level of success I had achieved, and I wasn't seeking to broaden my horizons. When I lost my husband to mental illness, I was shocked out of that complacency. I realized quickly that I needed to control what I could and make the best of the situation because in five months, I would be the sole source of emotional and financial support for my newborn son.
My husband's situation left me in a precarious emotional and financial situation. I decided early that focusing on what I had lost would not be productive. I budgeted fastidiously, and was able to pay the bills without going into further debt. I stayed healthy throughout my pregnancy. I focused on work, drafting a successful proposal for my company to become independent contractors for the largest property insurer in Florida. I looked ahead and created a catastrophe logistics plan to see the company through my maternity leave- a plan that paid off for my company when Hurricane Ike hit Texas ten days after I gave birth. And when it became clear that my husband would never again be a safe or sane person, I filed for divorce.
I realize that attending University of Alabama Law School as a single mother will not be easy. I am fortunate to have a sibling who is an undergraduate at Alabama and is willing to help me with childcare. As a single parent, I have experience balancing the demands of work with my son's needs. Working at a company with a bring your child to work policy has taught me to multi-task and prioritize efficiently. My experiences have shown me that I am stronger than I ever knew I was, and I will persevere toward my goals through any obstacles, because I know those hurdles will shape me into the lawyer, mother, and person that I will become.
