I got started in this business through a friend who thought it would be good for me to get out of the house. I was a stay at home mom, raising my two children, and had started losing myself as a person. I was spiraling downward because of life circumstances, losing confidence in myself, actaully afraid to come out of my house for fear of meeting people I'd have to talk to. Fear would grip me as I knew I'd have to leave my house. I knew I'd have to go out because of my kids' activities, but the prospect of doing it would put me in fear mode.

My turning point was watching my 3rd grade daughter place the Baby Jesus in a crib at Christmas time, dressed as an angel, and turning around without any fear, singing Silent Night all by herself to a packed church at Midnight Mass. I looked at her and knew that she had a future and I had nothing. My future was only in my children and their activities and their lives. There was nothing there for me. That realization made me decide to DO something about MY life. Not only to be there for my children, whom I love so much, and my husband, but to be there for ME, too. I'm sure many of you can relate to that feeling. And so my friends suggestion gave me something to look forward to.

When I started to take real estate classes, I felt happy. I was learning something that was relevant to the world. I could help people but also I learned the law behind real estate. Every night I came home from class feeling very good about myself...and much smarter. And that in turn, made my children happier because their mother was happier and my confidence started to grow. My fears started to subside because I could talk about a topic that was of interest to folks and people sought me out.

In those days, the real estate tests, after your classes, were written and you took the National real estate test and then the Missouri real estate test. You were sent your grades after it was tabulated. You were not allowed to go to the bathroom while you took the test and all answers were filled in with a number 2 pencil. (Times have certainly changed!) I took my Brokers test right after my salesperson's test. When I'd gotten the results back through the mail, I was surprised and proud to find out that I had a better score than anyone else in the real estate office I was joining. Both on the state and the national. That day, and everyday since, I drive or walk down the street and look at homes and businesses and multi-families with a different eye. Now I look at frontage, and think about taxes and assessments. I look at locations and exterior conditions. I think of occupancy's and market value. I am very PROUD to be a Realtor. I was the day I started to take real estate classes to get my license and have continued to be since then.

What a change in me as a person. I can talk to anyone about anything now. I'm no longer afraid of people. I can talk to rooms full of people at seminars on my favorite topic. I love to meet new folks. I've watched my children grow to be strong, independent people. I could be there for my kids when they came home from school and took them with me if I had to drop off a contract or pick up a key. So, my career allowed me to work around their schedules. My son is a strong young man who is excellent at sports. He has a very good job and owns his own home. He is soon to be married to Sarah, my beautiful soon to be daughter-in-law. My beautiful daughter is a strong young woman with a very smart business head. Very, very capable. She blows me away and I often wonder how she got to be who she is ... couldn't be from me or her dad! She is married to Mike, who is also very intelligent and athletic, and she has just returned back to her vice-president position with a large company after giving birth to my first grandbaby. I'm proud of who my children have become. And I'm sure part of who they are as people is all because of who their mother became through real estate. They might have been very differently influenced if my self-esteem had stayed so low.

I recommend real estate as a career to anyone. Certain personality traits can add to the chances of your success, but that's a topic for another day.

Thank all of you who have placed your trust in me over the years. I consider it an honor and a privilege to have served you.