When Life and Work Fall Apart
By Debra Klingsporn
Flatfooted, she stands nearly six feet tall. She is a professional. Capable. Commanding. Her presence fills conference rooms of lawyers, accountants, and CEOs. From difficult contracts, or high-risk liability issues, to the unpredictable waters of conflict management, she’s a can-do, make-it-happen, no-nonsense business administrator.
Her private life is otherwise. Married as a teenager to a man ten years older, she was one-half of the perfect up-and-coming couple. Young, committed, Christian. He was on his way to a successful career in a national organization. She was the stunning spouse, rivaling Martha Stewart in poise and hospitality. By her early twenties, they had two beautiful children, and her college plans seemed unnecessary. She channeled her energy and creativity into her husband’s success.
Now she’s approaching fifty and fighting to manage a more-than-full-time career while spending nights and weekends studying, or sitting in class to finish a long-deferred college degree. Her marriage ended 10 years ago when her husband’s embezzlement of hundreds of thousands of dollars came to light. She supported him, but he couldn’t come clean about the extent of the malfeasance. Trust eroded and the marriage ended. Against a backdrop of financial devastation, a failed marriage, and no fall-back career, she also became primary caregiver for her chronically ill daughter, who continues to decline; trips to the Mayo Clinic number in the hundreds. At 27, her daughter cannot support herself, cannot live alone, and twice attempted suicide.
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