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In the heart of New York City, amidst the towering skyscrapers and bustling streets, the incredible journey of the Lawrence siblings is a testament to resilience, determination, and unwavering faith. Six sisters, once homeless, are now on a remarkable journey to fulfill their dreams of becoming nurses, and their story is nothing short of inspiring.

The Lawrence Siblings’ Journey: Overcoming Homelessness and Hardship

Back in 2013, the Lawrence family faced a devastating turn of events when they lost their home in Queens, New York City. David and Yonette Lawrence, the parents of the six sisters, found themselves confronted with the harsh reality of homelessness. Their family’s life took a dramatic turn as they moved from one relative or friend’s house to another, seeking shelter and stability, as they later shared with People magazine.

“It was challenging,” recalls 24-year-old Lauren. “There were a lot of very bumpy, depressing times.” The struggle to find a place to call home was a constant battle, and it took a toll on the family.

Educational Pursuit : From GEDs to Bachelor’s Degrees

Two years into this gruelling ordeal, their father, David, made a courageous decision. He refused to let their circumstances hinder the education and dreams of his daughters. The Lawrence sisters, who had been grappling with disrupted schooling due to their ever-changing living situation, enrolled in a homeschool program. Their goal? To earn their GEDs and ensure their education remained on track.

“He didn’t want what we were going through to hold us back,” explained 25-year-old Dominique. This decision marked a turning point in their lives, as they embarked on a path filled with challenges but brimming with determination and hope.

Unyielding Faith : The Driving Force Behind Their Success

The Lawrence sisters defied the odds and shattered the barriers in their way. In 2019, all six of them successfully earned their GEDs. Their journey continued as they enrolled in Nassau Community College and, later, proudly graduated from SUNY Old Westbury with bachelor’s degrees in public health in May.

“It’s been quite an adventure,” shared 22-year-old Danielle. “But what really pulled us through is our faith in God and in each other.” Their unwavering support for one another, coupled with their unshakable faith, carried them through even the darkest of times.

Future Prospects: Master’s Program in Public Health and Beyond

Today, these extraordinary siblings, aged 19 to 25, declare that this is just the beginning of their remarkable journey. In August, they embarked on a master’s program in public health at SUNY Downstate Health Sciences University. Their eyes are set on the future, as they plan to attend nursing school to further their education and expertise.

Father’s Pride : A Proud Parent’s Perspective

Their father, David Lawrence, couldn’t be prouder of his daughters, who have defied adversity to chase their dreams and emerge stronger than ever. “I’m so happy that they’ve done this together,” he said, beaming with pride. “I always tell them, ‘Life’s not fair. And when it throws you a curveball, you’ve got to adjust to it and keep going.'”

An Inspiring Story of Triumph

The Lawrence sisters’ journey is a powerful reminder that with determination, a strong support system, and unwavering faith, one can overcome even the most challenging circumstances. As they continue to pursue their dreams in the field of healthcare, their story serves as an inspiration to us all, demonstrating that resilience can lead to incredible achievements.

The family unit is one of the most important institutions, and the pandemic could change the dynamics of every family, but it shouldn’t. From the heap of unplanned bills to the heat of uncertainty. The lockdown is like a Tsunami that came to knock on the door of everyone’s mind.

On a Live Instagram  chat with Men who Inspire yesterday,Certified Coach and high impact speaker speaker;  Kelechi Anyalechi shed some light on How to Build a Stronger Family during the lockdown.

Yours truly had her pen and paper handy while the session was going on,and here are the 7 ways he said we can build a stronger family during the lockdown.

1.Values: Every family should have strong values that can stand the test of time.

2.Vision: Have a plan for your family, plan for rainy days, and never allow the media influence your mindset this season. Do what you can and how you can do it and  stick to your plan.

3. Communication: With emotions flying round, you need to master the art of communicating with love, empathy and understanding. Practice active listening with your kids and partner. Be patient with them.

4. Time: Be decisive about your time, spend time with your family, especially the kids. Consciously create play time with them and be involved in their daily activities, from school work to watching their favorite cartoon with them. Be present and let them feel your presence.

Observation: Pay keen attention to the kids and what influences them and make adjustment where necessary. Children are naturally influenced by the things they see and who they spend time with. This is the best time to know what they’ve learnt when you were busy, but with the lockdown and Stay home, help them  un-learn those things if it doesn’t align with your family values.

Spirituality:Pray together as a family and spend time in faith. Your values should emanate from your spirituality. Don’t teach your children about God out of fear, but teach them out of understanding with you just being a guide.

Play: Diffuse the tension, Play with your spouse  and children. Just spend time playing that’s how you can derive joy and happiness. If you don’t play with your partner, another person will play with them. Be as addicted to your family as you are with your work. Be observant of your family and pay attention to non-verbal communication too.

Lastly, God has taught us one thing with the lockdown; that “God and family” are very important. In Pastor Adeboye’s word; “God has placed the whole world on compulsory holiday”. Spend it wisely.

Compiled by ; Esther Ijewere™©

For more Inspiring Instagram Live videos and story  about Family, skills acquisition, Mental health  and Time Management, Follow Men who Inspire Here

 

A mother will do anything for her children, no matter how old they get. A 98-year-old mom went viral. But why? She decided to move into the same nursing home her son was in so she could look after him.

 Ada Keating is the amazing woman who wanted nothing more than to be by her son’s side when she needed him the most. Even in her old age, this mom knows best, and it seems that both mom and son are thankful for the companionship in the picture below.

Tom Keating, Ada’s son, became a resident at Moss View care home in Huyton, Liverpool, back in 2016 since he needed more care than he could receive at home. The following year, his mother Ada decided she couldn’t bear being without him. Therefore, she moved into the same nursing home to be with him. Mom and son are so thankful they get to spend so much time together, and they enjoy watching TV and playing games to pass the time.

MEET THE KEATINGS

Ada and Tom were born in Wavertree, Liverpool, and have always been close. That’s because Tom has lived with his mother for all his adult life, never having been married. Ada said they have a routine in place so he knows what to expect. “I say goodnight to Tom in his room every night and I’ll go and say good morning to him,” she said. “I’ll tell him I’m coming down for breakfast.”

Ada says that they still have a deep bond even in their older age. “When I go out to the hairdressers he’ll look for me to see when I’m coming back,” she said. “When I get back he’ll come to me with his arms outstretched and give me a big hug. You never stop being a mum.” Tom added, “They’re very good here and I’m happy to see my mum more now she lives here. Sometimes she’ll say ‘behave yourself.’ She’s very good at looking after me.”

Tom is the oldest of four children; he had three sisters, Barbara, Margi, and Janet who passed away at 13. Tom worked as a painter and decorator before his retirement. Ada worked as a nurse at Mill Road Hospital before she retired. Their family members visit them often at home and are happy to see the two back together again. Some days, up to five generations of the Keating family come visiting!

Debi Higham, Ada’s granddaughter, comes to visit the two often. She said, “There’s no parting them. It’s reassuring for us that they’re both getting looked after 24/7.”

BELOVED BY THE NURSING HOME STAFF

The manager at the nursing home, Philip Daniels, said he’s happy the pair can be together at his facility.

“It’s very touching to see the close relationship both Tom and Ada share and we are so pleased we were able to accommodate both of their needs,” he revealed.

He added, “It’s very rare to see mothers and their children together in the same care home and we certainly want to make their time together as special as possible. They are inseparable.”

Isn’t this such a heartwarming story of a Mom and son’s unbreakable bond? If it touched your heart, please share with your friends and family!

While this generation seems to have come late to the financial literacy table, it doesn’t have to be the same for our children. It isn’t too early to start exposing them to the truth about money. In fact, according to researchers at the University of Cambridge, money habits are formed in children by the age of 7. So starting off early is important.

Financial literacy is something Nigerians are beginning to take more seriously; given the recent wave of awareness from different quarters on the essence of financial education, and the stiff economic environment, there is an urgency to manage scarce financial resources wisely, and also learn ways of growing extra funds.

Growing up, talks about investing in treasury bills or money market mutual funds were not things we heard about. The truth is, most of these financial instruments were not even available when we were growing up. So the talk about money and how to invest it wisely wasn’t a thing back then.

But times are changing, the world is evolving. We now understand the importance of financial skills in navigating life. If we had the kind of knowledge available now about money when we were growing up, we would definitely be better positioned financially.

While this generation seems to have come late to the financial literacy table, it doesn’t have to be the same for our children. It isn’t too early to start exposing them to the truth about money. In fact, according to researchers at the University of Cambridge, money habits are formed in children by the age of 7. So starting off early is important.

The question is: how does one teach children about money? Where do you even start from? There are different ways of inputting money lessons in children (most of which will be discussed subsequently), but the most important thing is starting them off with the right mindset by being an example for them to emulate.

It is a known fact that children learn a lot by merely watching what is done around them. Your actions and words about money shape the ‘money mindset’ of your children.

Most of us have the wrong mindset about money because of the way our parents and guardians talked about money or reacted to issues of money. I remember growing up, most of the ‘money conversations’ around me were about how hard it is to get a well-paying job. So somewhere in my subconscious mind, I believed it was difficult to get a job that pays above a ₦100,000. It took a lot to break out of that mindset. Hence, it is important we portray the right money habits for our children to imbibe.

To create a wealth mindset in children, you need to use the right words around them. You need to exude positive ‘money energy’ around them. So you select your words. Instead of saying things like, “I can never afford that,” say, “I’ll work toward buying that in the next couple of weeks or months.” Instead of “It is impossible to make it in this economy,” say, “The economy might seem tough but there is always a way out.”

You should also involve them in planning for major expenses – like changing the car or buying a major appliance for the house. Show them how you are saving up for the expense or how you intend raising money for the expense, and window shop online together, to see the options available to you.

Discuss your preferred brand and price with them. Let them know why you prefer the brand and the price. If possible, take them along with you when buying the appliance. These are some of the ways your actions will create the right money mindset in your children.

It is also important that you let them understand that money is a scarce resource, hence, the need to prioritize when spending money. Let them understand the difference between ‘wants’ and ‘needs’. Explain to them that needs are essentials that we cannot do without. You can drive this point home by showing them your budget for the month or your shopping list. Show them how you listed the essential needs first and then guide them in drawing up a budget or a spending plan with their needs coming first.

One other way of creating the right financial mindset in children is to introduce them to the concept of value creation. It is a known fact that the amount of money an individual is able to earn, is tied to how much value the individual can bring to the table.  It is important that we make children understand that their ability to create solutions to everyday human problems determines how much money they can make. You can do this by making them earn their allowance, or better still, guide them in raising money for something they want to buy. Help them identify products they can sell or services they can render in return for money.  This would go a long way in making them understand that value creation is key in making money.

Your actions about money also speak volumes. Don’t have an argument about money with your spouse in front of your kids. If there is a disagreement about money, resolve it when they are not around.

In subsequent articles, I’ll share more on how you can incorporate the right money habits into your kids, from as early as 3 years old. And if you have any questions, send them to me through the comment section. Let’s raise financially responsible children together.

About Author

Omolola Olorunnisola is the lead consultant at BullsnBearsNG, a financial consulting firm that specializes in providing financial advise and helping individuals build profitable investment portfolios. You can reach her via this email address bullsnbearsnig@gmail.com.

 

When two love birds get married, naturally, the next phase is parenthood! However, when this doesn’t happen as soon as they expect, the couple begins to experience a whole gamut of emotions including worry, fear, anger, disappointment, frustration, and so on. Some people even begin to develop a negative self-concept. The love that once ran so deep begins to lose its depth, as the couple has to deal with external pressure in addition to the emotional rollercoaster they are experiencing.

The Waiting Room Seminar will provide an emotionally supportive environment for such couples to expressly dialogue about the impact of this struggle on their lives, without feeling judged. The inability to effectively communicate feelings results in negative interactions and sometimes no interaction at all and this further drives a wedge between the couple. Therefore the couples will learn effective communication, as well as effective coping skills to deal with the struggle to conceive.

The couples will also be encouraged by the testimonies of others who were able to navigate this journey successfully as a team against all odds, and where all hope has been lost, there will be a rebirth!

The main essence of this seminar is for each couple to eventually be able to look back on their seemingly tumultuous journey to parenthood and proudly say “We made it and emerged even stronger as a unit!”

Here is the registration link :  bit.ly/2jvwwtd

Powered By : The Family Place

Crystal Chigbu was devastated when the doctor told her, amputation will be the available option for her daughter. It felt like her life had come to an end, she was distraught and discouraged. She and her husband decided to reframe the situation and make the best of it.This birthed The Irede Foundation, is an NGO focused on lending a hand of love, joy and hope to children living with limb loss knowing there are no limits to their potential.

The Beginning

My name is Crystal Chigbu, Founder and Executive director of The Irede Foundation. I am married to a gentle man fondly called Zubby. We are blessed with two children Beulah (girl) and Eden (boy). I am a “crazy “passionate person, believing there is nothing you set your mind to do that you cannot achieve I like to stand out from the crowd. I know disability is a mind game so I see more abilities in disabilities. I worked for a leading multi-national Fast Moving Consumer Goods (FMCG) company for over 12years and just recently resigned to work in the social space.I have interests in sustainable development with strong emphasis on economic and social empowerment of persons (specifically Children) with limb disabilities in Africa .My interests have led me to become actively involved in a number of NGOs as well as CSR initiatives focused on children and women.

The birth of Irede Foundation

My personal experience, birthing and raising a daughter with a missing tibia and knee cap inspired the creation of The IREDE Foundation. In addition to this was a desire to pour out my heart by writing out my daily frustrations and concerns as I managed my daughter. I wanted to share the comfort I had with other parents and the abilities in disabilities. The need to reach out with a message of hope to child amputees and families continually spurs me to action. We are out to educate and create awareness on amputation and limb loss reducing stigmatization to the barest minimum. We also have a support group to reach out to the families and the amputees. Thirdly, we empower amputees via provision of prostheses and mentoring.

My reaction

When the doctor told me my daughter’s leg would be amputated I was devastated. After a few minutes, I thought he must be out of his mind and then I became confused.I started asking questions. To say the least, it was indeed very devastating

Deciding to amputate her legs

The decision took about 2 years and 3 months to make. We (My husband and I) just could not come to terms with making the decision. We has to research and hoped that it didn’t have to come to amputation. I will leave you to imagine how difficult it was.

My daughter is amazing!

Beulah, my daughter is one of the strongest and determined human beings I know in my life. She is bold, daring competitive, loving and just so amazing. Let me tell you a little about our charming beauty, she gets to do everything she has determined to do. She is very active with sports and academics, within six months she learnt to swim excellently. She was once told by an older amputee that she wouldn’t look good without her prosthesis. Her response to her is with or without my prosthesis I am beautiful. Her energy is contagious, should you come in contact with her, you will literally love her.

Beulah and Irede Foundation

In trying to get a solution for Beulah, we realized that there was not much information around in Nigeria on this form of disability. We sought for support and it was literally unavailable. As we saw her transform daily into a child that does all things it became apparent that someone else can learn from us.

This contributed to the establishment of The Irede Foundation. This formed the basis of our day to day process which is to educate, to encourage and to empower. We wanted to create awareness on amputation for the society at large. A self-sufficient child despite the disability, is what I see daily in Beulah .This vision was translated into empowering others. We focus on mentoring the children and providing them with mobility aid. I want to see other children swim, dance, climb without any limitations of limb loss. These are the things I see daily in my daughter. At the Foundation, we offer the same hop

Challenges of running Irede Foundation

A number of challenges show up from time to time and by God’s grace we resolve and come to a place of learning as we fix them .One of the challenges we face is sourcing for the prostheses at an affordable price. Depending on the type of amputation, we do spend about one million naira (and with current exchange rate it’s even gone higher) on a prosthesis. We are working at sourcing locally for the materials used in fabrication of the prostheses as this will help us reach more children.

In order to reach more children and families with this message of hope, we need more sponsorships and collaborations.

Giving it all up?

Couple of times I felt like giving up. Sometimes it gets quite hectic and overwhelming that I do feel like packing it all up and doing something else. One example of when I’ve felt this way, was when I saw many children on queue to get prosthesis and we were not able to reach out to them immediately. In situations like this though, I remind myself of the 28 limbs and over 60 families that we have touched and the community. This encourages me and reminds me that I can’t give up now as we have gone too far from where we started from and we can and will make it.

Creating a balance between career and family

I am still learning balance every day and hope to continually get better at it as my children get older. My balance scheme is prioritization and support systems. I have learnt to prioritize my life, for me it’s my God, family, career and so on. When I am faced with any decisions or daily life’s challenges, I go in that order. Then I also take advantage of my support groups. My support group is my family, friends and the assistance I get from people. Each time I get overwhelmed, I re- evaluate my priorities and reach out to my support group again. That has worked for me from time to time.

Greatest reward

Hope renewed in the lives of our children is our greatest reward. When I hear the good news of how the children (Champions) are doing in school, see their smiles, families call in and just pray for me, it encourages me to do more. This is like receiving an award. Knowing that daily these children and their families’ lives are touched and improved daily makes me refreshed. I met a 16 year old amputee in January 2016, she had never walked all her life and she was quite a sad, depressed and unhappy teen. As I talked to her and got her to smile for the first time I felt good. The next time she came into the Irede office, she was all smiling as she fitted her first prosthesis ever. When I came in saw her, all I could do was give praise to God for the opportunity to touch lives.

My counsel to mothers

For mothers going through a similar ordeal, this is my advice, its okay to cry but after crying move on. Today, I want you to know there is hope for your child and for you. A distinguishing factor for children is the motherly support they get and also recognizing that fathers do play a major role too. I am encouraging you to be strong, get information about your child’s ordeal then get help. Often times you do not need to come up with fresh solutions. Someone somewhere has been through a similar ordeal and you can learn from them.

Final words

Being a woman is not a reason to be mediocre and dependent. Let’s stand up and join all the other women doing amazing things. Improve yourself, add value to your family, business, community and the nation at large. Women are blessed with multiple abilities. Do not accept the weaker vessel mentality. Get up and impact your immediate environment. See you at the top