What is Poverty

Jo Goodwin Parker remains the mystery author of "What is Poverty". The essay is about one’s personal experience being a person of poverty and how she got there. The description is very intense. A mother was forced to make a life altering decision based on what was most important to her. Because of her decision she now has many critical daily decisions she much make. Weighing what must be bought to survive such as food and what a luxury is such as soap. Saving up for an item, only to have the price go up, was a reoccurring nightmare for this mother. Being sick because of lack of nutrition and not being able to afford medication was common for this family. A mother’s vision of her children’s not so bright future because of their way of living is a constant fear. The dreams and hopes that still cross one’s mind in a moment of silence. This essay shows sides to poverty one may have never have thought could be so brutal.

I was absorbed by the description of Jo Goodwin Parkers life challenges and the decisions a person must make. As I read the end of paragraph three my heart stopped. "When the dried diaper came off, bits of my baby's flesh came with it". Who could imagine the anger, hurt, disappointment; you name it, all the feelings that consumed the mother at that moment. I know as a person we often find ourselves at a dead end with no choices that we see. This mother analyzed all of her choices, even one that might not be a choice in our own vision, and made the decision. She is a very brave.