Life and Loss

What does poverty look like? Have you ever seen someone struggle to buy their children's school supplies or to afford shoes for school? Many times we are quick to point the finger at the parent and their shortcomings. Have you ever looked into that child's eyes and seen the absolute innocence behind them?

As a child of poverty, let me tell you that there were certainly things my parents could have done better to help me succeed. However, those things were out of my control. Even as an adult, the decisions of my parents haunt me, and I still often wonder if I will ever be able to escape the projects.

First, let me introduce myself. I am Amber Wortham Reece, a 24-year-old mother, wife, student, and full-time employee at an area hospital. I bust my rump daily so that my kids can have the things they need. I chose a non-traditional path to success, and I am dealing with the consequenses of those choices. However, I can't help but wonder how different things would be if I had been born under different circumstances.

When I was born, my dad had just been hurt at work in an accident that broke his hip. He was never able to work again becuase of an infection that caused him to have several hip surgeries. He walked with a very noticeable limp my entire life. My mother worked as an apartment manager for $8.50 an hour, which at the time was decent money. However, we struggled in a lot of ways. We lived in a terrible neighborhood in the HUD apartments my mother managed. We could not afford private school, so in order to keep me from the awful school system where we lived, my parents gave my aunt's address and drove me 10 miles to school every day. Of course, this added to their financial strain, but my mother never ceased to tell me how important education was.

In school was where I flourished. It was where I could go to get away from the stresses of life (at 8 years old). I made straight A's, was in an accelerated program, and was told I could be anything I wanted. I had potential. Fast forward several years to high school, we moved to a new town about 60 miles away where the schools were much better and mother had gotten a better job ($9.50 an hour). I graduated with honors, made a 30 on my ACT and made plans to leave home and fulfill my potential. Then, I got a call about a month after graduation. My mom was sick. She needed me to come right away. When I arrived to the apartments where she worked, I was informed that she had died. At 18 years old, my life changed instantly. So many questions swirled in my mind, not the least of which was,


"How will I ever be able to make it?"