RSS FeedFor one family in Colombia, filing for bankruptcy rattled their world. In Colombia the laws are different, so the family was forced to sell everything including their air conditioner. For an 8 year-old girl, that was a crippling shock. How could her parents suffer such failure, and where did it leave her?
Fast forward 24 years and that girl has grown up to be a philanthropist and incredibly successful singer-songwriter. According to Wikipedia:
She has won two Grammy Awards, seven Latin Grammy Awards, and has been Golden Globe-nominated. She is also the highest-selling Colombian artist of all time, and the second most successful female Latin singer having sold over 50 million albums worldwide, according to BMI. Additionally, she is the only artist from South America to reach the number-one spot on the U.S. Billboard Hot 100, the Australian ARIA chart, and the UK Singles Chart.
Unless you clicked that link, you may not realize I’m talking about Shakira.
Shakira founded the Barefoot Foundation, a charity to help poor children in her native Colombia get an education. Later, she expanded her reach to become a UNICEF goodwill ambassador. And it all started when her family filed for bankruptcy when she was 8 years old.
Shocked and confused, she couldn’t fathom what had become of her middle-class life. Then her parents took her to a park where orphans congregated so that she could see that bankruptcy was not the end of the world.
According to a recent story on CNN:
“That day I made myself a promise,” she said. “I promised that I would someday succeed to vindicate my parents’ social and economic position. But I also wanted to do something about those kids I saw so abandoned by the state, abandoned to their own luck, without any chances to change their destinies.”
The upshot is this – when you file for bankruptcy, you need to take the time to explain to your children exactly what it means and why it’s not the end of the world. Remember that your kids are impressionable, and look to you for guidance as well as support. They’re scared, confused and often can’t verbalize their fears. Educate them, support them, and help them make their futures better.
Similar Posts:
- Practicing Good Money Management
- Parents On Title To Child’s Homestead: What Happens When Either Child Or Parents File Chapter 7 Bankruptcy
- Are You A Stay At Home Parent?
- Pay On Death Account Paid To Debtor Within Six Months Of Chapter 7 Filing
- Foreclosure, Pets, and Bankruptcy
Tags: