My nephew's father abandoned him and my sister with no money

On The Merits of Adversity

Where does it come from, this ability to stand strong in the face of personal disaster? Most people crumble when disaster strikes, but I continue to get out of bed with the rising sun and put one foot in front of the other. Every single day.

You might be tempted to think that my husband abandoning me after 27 years of marriage, or that suddenly finding myself a single parent of a 23 year old severely Autistic son would crush my spirit. You would be wrong on both counts. In truth, adversity is a disguised opportunity to build character, and to show the world the depths of grace that overflows from the very core of your soul. The choice before me is thus:

1.) Be bitter and spiteful...

...OR...

2.) Be a better person in spite of these circumstances for the sake of my son.

I will always choose love over revenge, therefore my son will be better off. David will always love Harold, and that is how it should be. I will never utter a negative word to David about his father, and we will continue to be happy, and caring, and to make a better future for ourselves.

It is a fact that good times are fleeting, but it is equally true that bad times are also impermanent. There is a saying that if you find yourself going through hell, then keep on going rather than standing still and burning. As you dodge the flames, allow the power of resilience to nourish your soul, and own the knowledge that everything will be all right. You don't always get to control the circumstances in your life, but you can control how you choose to react to them. Therein lies my superpower!

Now that you know a fragment of my struggle to survive, I lay a challenge before each one of you reading this to make a small donation to help me to pay legal costs, mortgage, electric bills, dental insurance, food, home repairs, car insurance, etc. I am 61 years old, less than a year away from collecting Social Security retirement, and my goal is to financially survive this abandonement so that my son can continue to live here in the only home he has ever known, and to have the security of not having his daily routine interrupted.

I am a United States Air Force veteran, and not accustomed to reaching out to the general public for help. I was trained to think quick, and devise solutions, but I am also an intensely private person. For the sake of my son's continued wellbeing, I will put aside my pride and ego to make this appeal.

The United States is a nation of 370 million souls, and our small individual efforts to help can collectively create miracles in other people's lives. Thank you for caring enough to take the time to read this, and know that every dollar is truly appreciated.