Deliverance Simon

When fighting for integrity, don't give up. Stick to your guns. No matter how long it takes.

(excerpt from an interview with Daniel Simon, Healthcare Industry Business and Systems Analyst, Proud Family Man)

My mother grew up in a city in Haiti and loved it there. Her father was an entrepreneur/merchant, so they would go out all the time, and she would go with him while he conducted business. Because of this exposure my mother became business oriented herself, always looking for deals and always a go getter. Whatever she sets her mind to, she gets done. My mom has a great sense of humor and also quite adventurous. She’s not the type to stay home, watch TV because she's always doing something, helping, feeding, blessing, praying for somebody. During the winter months, she stays either in the Dominican Republic and Haiti, and for the summer months she goes to New York with my sister or comes to visit us in Florida. There's a term in Creole called grenade, which means rolling stone. My mother is like a rolling stone.

Aside from instilling in me the importance of valuing family and relationships, my mom was my first teacher of the value of integrity and resilience/not giving up. “When fighting for integrity, don't give up. Stick to your guns. No matter how long it takes” and she taught and demonstrated this to me when she was dealing with my father’s pension. When my father passed away over 20 years ago, my mother was denied receiving any of his pension stating that my father opted for the higher payout while alive and no survivor benefits. My mom did not believe it because she clearly remembered completing and signing those pension application forms, electing 50/50 joint survivor pension payout. The pension company kept denying her claims, and they had documentation to prove it but so did my Mother.

She decided to go fight this in court. My mom became an unstoppable Haitian woman on an adventure to fight for her right to receive survivor benefits, and did this with no attorney representation. English was also her second language but she was heavily armed with her determination and commitment to integrity. When she lost the first civil case, we were worried and doubtful about her claim but mom wasn’t going to stop fighting for what was right. She went to the state court and didn’t win either. She went and appealed all the way to the federal court and won it this time. It took about five years. I stood as her representative in federal court. My mother was 100% clear about her rights, and we were able to prove the discrepancy on the forms that were notarized vs what was completed and signed. My mother was right. The option she chose that got notarized was not the option that was on the final form and she was able to prove this in the federal court. She was denied, declined, and she failed in her first few attempts but won in the end. The pension company gave her five years back pay and to this day, still receives the survivor pension with 4% annual adjustment for inflation. All because she didn't give up. For most people, they would have already given up but not my mom. She went all the way to the top to resolve it and when she visits the pension office, she has full access to speak with higher management now and not just the staff. That's a lesson I would never forget.

How this shows up for me today is in my communication. I'm not afraid to talk to leadership. I am empowered to speak up. When there's injustice, when leadership neglects to give somebody accolades, I would call them on it. It has created the freedom for me to communicate with anybody, regardless of who you are. Position or title doesn't mean anything in regards to creating/having integrity. I will bring attention to what is out of integrity, and definitely do the same for myself as well. It has also taught me personally not to give up. Just like my mom, I don't see anything as insurmountable. I don't see problems as adversity. I see them as opportunity to figure out a solution. I’ve come to realize life is not challenging. It's actually an adventure for me now.

One of my greater accomplishments is having a good relationship with my children. They too have learned not to be afraid of authority. Even though they get upset at me, they can still talk to me. For me, that is some thing that money can't buy. We have openness with each other. I always tell them too that even though I'm their father, we all have a Heavenly Father or the creator of the universe who holds me responsible for taking care of them. I am grateful for the many lessons and examples my mom demonstrated to me while I was growing up, and extremely happy that my kids also get to enjoy and learn directly from their grandma while she continues on living her adventures today.




MindsetLeah Milan