"Bankruptcy and Responsibility"

My wife and I filed bankruptcy in the state of Pennsylvania.

After years of financial difficulties, my father, who had been a lawyer and who had tried to help us out, informed us that he could no longer do so due to health reasons.

To put it mildly, we were in a financial mess. After many sleepless nights, filing bankruptcy seemed our only real option.

But it really turned into a positive experience. With our financial slate wiped clean, and no credit worthiness to speak of, my wife and I were forced to ask ourselves what we really wanted in this life.

My father's worsening physical condition gave us the opportunity for a fresh start. I talked my father into buying a house with us so we could keep an eye on both him and my mother, who suffers from Alzheimer's.

Dad called it "an advance on your inheritance" and covered the down payment on the house. When he realized the house needed more fixing up than originally believed, he also footed that bill.

I like to think I matured a lot and became more focused before Dad died. Getting rid of all that debt hanging over my head was a wake up call and a second chance. And now that I have the "rest of my inheritance" I'm a much more responsible person.

Contributed by Frank from Pennsylvania