I was born in the Flatbush section of Brooklyn, New York and lived there for the first few years of my life. My parents were first generation Americans who grew up on the lower east side of Manhattan and met when they were kids. I recall hearing stories of my dad riding my mother on the handle bars of his bicycle. My dad worked hard at a young age helping his parents out with their candy stand business. We moved to Parsippany, New Jersey when I was three years old and I lived there until college.
My parents had me late in life. My mother was 48 and my dad was 50 years old. I have an older sister but she was already married and out of the house when I was born. Often, I would hear family members refer to me ‘as a gift from God.’ As I grew older, I began to understand what this meant. My parents had a second daughter before I was born who passed away at 18 years old from Lupus. They didn’t talk about her much but often I would hear people say that ‘she looks so much like Rosalie.’
I was the focus of the household. My dad would throw softballs with me in the yard. My mother would take me to dance lessons. My life was relatively structured but peaceful. We lived in a lake community so summers at the beach were active with swimming, playing volleyball, tennis, etc. Family was also important. On weekends we would often go to visit my extended family i.e. aunts, uncles, cousins. When I was 5 years old something very special happened in my life. My older sister had a daughter and I became an aunt. This was a defining moment for me. I felt so proud!
Hard work and dedication started early on for me. Even though I was small in size, I was confident and mentally strong. My father instilled this in me. I was proud to earn a varsity letter in softball in high school despite my size. I was always in fear that my parents wouldn’t live to see me graduate from high school, college, see me get married, etc. I was serious about working hard and achieving. I went to the University of Delaware for college and majored in Economics. After graduating from Delaware and finishing my studies in London, I started working and going to graduate school at The New School for Social Research in New York City to focus on my career choice Human Resources Management.
I have been incredibly fortunate, my parents lived into their nineties. They have been with me through most of my milestones. My father passed away in July, 2012 when he was 92 years old. My mother passed away in December, 2017. She was 95 years old. Today, I continue to work hard to be there for my daughters, my husband and my career. It’s challenging and I’m by no means perfect at juggling it all but I am truly trying to do my best. Sharing my life experiences in such a public way has stretched me out of my comfort zone but it was necessary. I’d like to give a heartfelt thanks to my friends from the Human Element class who gave me the courage and strength to share who I am.