“I chose not to tell my children what I do for a living because I did not want them to feel bad or ashamed of me. I’d always intended to avoid this; it was my goal from the beginning.
My youngest daughter would periodically ask me what I did for a living, but I would always try to avoid answering her question by giving evasive answers. I simply told her I was a worker and quickly changed the subject, so she forgot what she had asked me.
Every day before I went home to my family, I took a shower in a public restroom in the hopes of arriving home clean and my children not suspecting or questioning what I was doing.
I did all of this so they wouldn’t suspect anything and begin investigating what their father does during the day. My children’s education was the most important thing to me; I wanted them to concentrate on their studies and not worry about me.
I wanted my daughters to be respectful of themselves in public. All I wanted was for them to think less of themselves than I did of them.
I was constantly made fun of by others, so I resolved that every dime I earned would go toward my children’s education. I want something entirely different for my children, a life separate from mine.
Instead of purchasing new clothes with the money I had, I decided to purchase books for my girls.
I just requested that they earn my respect in return for our friendship. I worked in the cleaning business.
I didn’t have the funds for my daughter’s college application until the deadline.
Because I couldn’t work that day, I had no money. I didn’t know how to stop sobbing so my kid wouldn’t notice, but I felt terrible inside because I couldn’t give her what she needed.
Everyone was staring at me, but no one approached to ask how I was doing or if I needed anything.
I was only thinking about the day I’d go home, and my daughter would ask about the money for her college application. I had no notion what to say. I felt terrible since I was unsuccessful, at least not enough to provide for my children’s needs.
My family had a low income, and I used to feel that nothing good or wonderful could ever happen to a man who had a low income and struggled daily.
After my workday was done, something completely unexpected happened to me. All my coworkers approached me and offered me their entire day’s earnings.
I tried to refuse them, but before I could finish, they insisted that our children needed to go to college to have a better life than we did.
I was taken aback by their incredible gesture. That day, I opted not to use public restrooms to shower and instead went home in my work clothes.
One of my children has already completed her studies and refuses to let me go to work.
My eldest daughter is already working, and my other three girls pay for their education.
I still want to go to work, but my eldest daughter insists I let her drive me there.
In addition, my daughter always brings lunch to my coworkers and me.
They questioned her why she was doing this one day, and she said she would be forever grateful that they all didn’t eat one day to help her go to college.
I am proud of my children and no longer consider myself a poor man. How could I be impoverished when I have such exceptional children?”
