I was born and raised in America and am an all-American girl. Lit for Liberty is a blog to share thoughts through creative self-expression, understanding the economy, how it has affected me, the people around me, coping with life changes, social, and financial freedom. What I bring to the table are my life experiences, which is what makes me unique and who I am. I feel what we learn from our life experiences is oftentimes just as important as what we learn from our professional experiences. After reading for years regarding finance, I decided to write a blog about things I wished I learned either through my family or in grade school but never did until recently. There are times throughout history that people rights are trampled on, and people feel that there is no justice. In uplifting our voices, there is a small amount of justice served when we speak up and connect in community with one another.
A little about my upbringing is that I am the youngest of a family of four, my dad was a master welder, and my mom is a very talented, creative homemaker. We didn’t come from a lot of means, and by most standards I grew up in a middle-class family. My father worked seven days a week, nights and overtime just to make an income that would be deemed as middle-class. Because my parents had four kids, our family income was stretched to raise and pay for the four of us. Some people are born into a rich family and have an easy life, while others are born into a family with less means and see their family financially struggle. My upbringing was the latter, but our family was rich in love, and we were so close so in that respect we were blessed. Neither of my parents graduated high school, but believed in education and the American Dream that their children could achieve more than they did. My parents designed and built the house I grew up in with their own hands and were always doing home improvement projects together. My parents worked very hard and instilled that in each of us. Both of my parents eventually received their GED, and made sure each of their kids received a college education. I have always enjoyed learning whether it was in grade school, in college, or self-motivated learning. I push and challenge myself in learning, even when what I am learning is difficult to process. I received a Bachelor of Science Degree and the majority of my career I have worked in healthcare. I have seen and experienced a lot of ups and downs within the healthcare field as it is continually evolving and changing.
Within the last several years, a series of painful tragedies happened to my family. My parents were married for over 50 years, were deeply in love, and my father passed away unexpectedly in a hospital right after surgery that put him into a coma. The only life my mom remembers is the life she had with my father as she married him when she was 16 years old, and she is now a widow. One of my sisters died of an opioid addiction just a few years prior to my father’s passing which was also painful in its own right. In 2020 during the pandemic, I went through a divorce which was also hard. There is much more I could tell. Can we say that life threw rocks at us? We made it through, and I am now a single mom living in a happy home with my two children and a dog.
The things I love to do are dance, yoga, nature walks, traveling, writing, reading, drawing, painting, photography, and singing privately at home 😊. When it comes to finance, I can’t ever look back at a time in my entire life in which I didn’t live within my means and on a budget. I try to find the best deals I can through research whether it be for my education, car, home, clothes, food, etc. I wouldn’t describe myself as a minimalist, as I do enjoy creative finds and putting money back into the society that has given to me, but I do try to find the best deal I can to live the best life I can. I feel that I am constantly growing, learning, and sharing what I have learned with others. I have learned a lot of life lessons, but with each lesson feel that I am one step closer to having a deeper financial understanding as it relates to my own upbringing which has brought me closer to my family. Those that know me may describe me as an old soul. I am happy to finally be at a place that I can write about what I have experienced which has led me creating this blog to share with you, my supportive, cherished, and beloved reader.