Sophia Byrd
It’s a book about a single pregnant mother with two children, fighting a divorce that she doesn’t want, and the many challenges that she faced during her working career.
I am a single mother who has graduated from Cal State Dominguez Hills University with a Bachelor's in Public Administration (emphasis on Criminal Justice). I worked and went to college full-time while raising three kids alone and sending them to private school for most of their lives. On weekends, we had family days; the reason being that my kids were patient in waiting and helping me through my college education, never complaining about the many nights I was in college preparing for a better life for all of us.
I love helping others when called upon and I enjoy writing, reading, and many outside activities. There were many challenges in my life that I was faced with and I thank God for holding me up through all of it. I often talked to my family and friends about my life and they would tell me "you need to write a book," so I did. Just when I though all hope was gone, God sent me 1st Books Library and I do thank them from the bottom of my heart for allowing this dream to come true for me and my kids. I have started on my second book and I hope 1st Books Library will allow me the opportunity to publish that book with them as well. Wish me luck on my clothing design I am preparing for.
PART ONE
It all started on June 1, 1993, when I was seven months pregnant. I went on various interviews with the Department of Motor Vehicle to find out who was going to hire me after scoring a ninety-six on my examination. I was trying to hide my stomach. I wore a large dress, while holding a green coat in one arm, not letting my stomach become the issue of my employment. I had several interviews, and at last Arleta D.M.V. picked me up and took me into their office. Oh what a pleasant sight to start off working for D.M.V. I thought this was the greatest time of my life even though it would take me fifty minutes to get to work. Not to mention Thursday’s we didn’t close until 6:30 p.m. and on Friday’s, traffic was completely congested and it appeared that I wasn’t going to ever get home. I mean being seven months pregnant, tired and dealing with the traffic, I was double drained when I finally reached home after picking up the kids from the baby sitter and going home to prepare dinner.
My first day at work at the Arleta D.M.V. was great, the people I worked with were great, always helping each other, never putting me down, when I called on any of the employees or supervisor for help. And when I needed to get off early, my co-workers would sometimes even exchange hours and shifts with me...there was never a problem. I loved working out there to work, but, the commute that was kicking my pregnant ass and racing home to my kids and a cheating husband who didn’t give a sh*t about anyone other than himself. Well, I went into early labor from all the walking at lunch and was off work by June 23, 1993.
Let me remind you, I had just gotten hired on June 1, 1993, and this wasn’t something I expected. My baby wasn’t due until August 12, 1993. However, my beautiful son arrived July 27, 1993 weighing seven pounds. I had to have an emergency C-section because my baby stopped breathing while being inside of my stomach. Having a C-section was something that I had always feared of having. I don't wish this type of surgery on any women. I was at home recovering from an emergency C-section hoping that a transfer would come through, so I could work closer to home to breast feed my son during my lunch hour, or just to spend my one hour lunch with him instead of being in the gossiping quarter on my breaks and lunch schedules. My best friend Ms. T always told me, "don’t go into the lunch room on your breaks or lunch because that’s where all the gossip starts, and you don’t want to get caught up in all that "bull" that goes on at D.M.V. Just stay away from that particular area.
