Blessings-Chapter One

As I look back over these past few months and this past year, I think of how far I’ve come. To see my life now, you wouldn’t know that I’d been a hopeless wreck at one time. Fifteen months ago, my three children were removed from my home, due to allegations of child abuse. My source of income had come from the state, and that had been because of my children, so when the children were taken, so was the income. My rent had been taken care of since I had children to take care of, and I was on public assistance, once again when the children were taken so was the help with the rent. In the end my boyfriend Lewis and I had to move from our apartment. I was truly batting a thousand at this point and time.
And now, fifteen months later, all of that has changed. I’m no longer a hopeless wreck, all four of my children are home (we had an addition), I have my own money, Lewis and I are married, and we own the home that we live in. So, how did it happen? Did it happen overnight? I’ll answer that with something my mom had told me sometime ago when I was about sixteen or so. Our family was going through financial issues, on the verge of losing our home, I’d dropped out of high school, and I guess you could say everything that could go wrong did. I remember my mom telling me, “Things have to get worse before they can get better.” I didn’t understand what she said at the time, but when I ended up on a plane headed for California weeks later, I understood what she meant. At that time in my life, my world ended, or so I thought. I’d never lived anywhere out of state before, especially not without my parents, I didn’t see the move as a good thing even though the adults that had made the decision for me thought that it was. Years later as I think about that time, I realize that that was the best move that I could’ve made in my life.
I can say this now that it’s over, but losing my babies when I did was probably the best thing to ever happen to me, and I don’t mean that in a bad way by no means. I believe just like when I was shipped to California at the age of seventeen, that the experience helped me to grow, and appreciate the blessings in my life. I’ve also learned that blessings can come when you least expect them. My blessings came when I truly didn’t expect them, and from a much unexpected source.

My life began to change just as the summer season was ending. School had started a few weeks before, which caused a change in the visiting times with our children and even an issue with the therapist that I’d been court ordered to see. My daughters, Angel and Domonique and I were to start family counseling, but because of transportation and the time that they got out of school, it took some time for the sessions to start. To top things off, our finances weren’t doing so well, especially with Lewis being the only one working. I’d been trying to find a job, emailing my resume to various companies and agencies, going out to east hell for interviews only to be turned down. My therapist had talked to me about signing up for Social Security benefits, I’d been diagnosed with depression and I’d been put on medication for it.

When my life began to change, it felt as if a huge weight had been lifted off of my tiny 5’4, 123lb frame. So what miraculous change happened in my life? Well I’d received a certified letter one rainy afternoon. I’d been praying for a financial breakthrough to happen in my life, and even though I believed my prayers were going to be answered, I just didn’t know how or when. But anyways, I’d received a certified letter from the mailman, and I signed for it. I wasn’t sure who the letter was from, even though the return address was from a law office in the Penobscot building. I could also see that it had been delivered to my old address in the Cass corridor. I was a tad bit nervous about opening the envelope, the only contact with an attorney that I’d had was with the one that represented me in the case for my children. For all I knew somebody could be trying to sue me. I sat down in front of the computer where I’d been sitting for a better part of the day, and opened it. Inside was a one page letter that read:

Dear Ms. Monique Harvey,

My office has been authorized to issue you a check from the estate of Mrs. Abigail Murphy. I would like for you to contact me at your earliest convenience so that I may carry out Mrs. Murphy’s wishes.


Sincerely,

Richard Michaels, Attorney
[phone]


I had to read the letter three more time just to make sure I’d read it right the first time. All kinds of questions ran through my mind, like who was Abigail Murphy, and why was she giving me money? Since I didn’t have the answers, I decided to call the attorney, Richard Michaels and see what he could tell me. I dialed the number that was at the bottom of the letter, and waited for someone to answer; I didn’t have to wait long before a female answered.

“Good morning, Michaels and Associates, how may I help you?”

I gave her my name and explained to her the letter that I’d just received. I was then put on hold where I sat listening to classical music until a man’s voice came on.

“This is Richard Michaels, is this Ms. Harvey?” he asked.

When I said yes, he laughed and told me how he’d been trying to get in touch with me for almost six months. He then asked if I could come down to his office that afternoon. Since I didn’t have anything planned, and I had bus tickets, I said sure. He didn’t give me a specific time to come, whenever I could make it was fine with him. He thanked me for calling him, gave me his address and hung up. I shut down the computer, and ran upstairs to my bedroom to find something decent to wear. I wasn’t quite sure what to wear, I mean it wasn’t like I was going to court; I was just meeting with an attorney. And besides it wasn’t as if I had a closet full of clothes to choose from. So I decided on a pair of slacks that my mom had given me and a blouse in the same color. I took a quick bath, got dressed, and made sure my shoulder bag had everything it needed for a bus ride downtown.