Being a father is one of the greatest joys in life. As parents, we always want the best for our children. We work hard and make sacrifices to ensure they have a bright future. But what happens when your job is something you feel ashamed of? This is the heartbreaking story of a father who kept his job a secret from his children to protect them from shame.
Idris, a hardworking man, never told his children what he did for a living. Every day, he would work as a cleaner and come back home covered in dirt, but he never let his children see him in that state. Instead, he would take a bath in public toilets to hide the nature of his work.
Whenever his youngest daughter asked him about his job, Idris would hesitantly tell her that he was a laborer. He didn’t want his children to feel ashamed because of him. He wanted them to stand in front of people with dignity and respect.
Despite his own struggles with humiliation, Idris had a dream for his daughters. He wanted to give them the best education possible and ensure they didn’t have to face the same hardships he did. Every penny he earned went towards their education. He would forgo buying new clothes and instead buy books for his daughters.
But life has a way of throwing curveballs when we least expect it. The day before his daughter’s college admission deadline, Idris found himself unable to gather the necessary fees. He sat beside a pile of rubbish, tears streaming down his face, wondering how he would face his daughter and tell her the news.
In that moment of despair, something incredible happened. All of Idris’s co-workers, his fellow cleaners, came to his side. They offered him their hard-earned money, insisting that his daughter’s education was more important than anything else. They declared that they would go hungry that day if needed, as long as his daughter had the opportunity to go to college.
Overwhelmed with gratitude and emotion, Idris couldn’t refuse their generosity. On that day, he didn’t take a shower. He went back to his house, still covered in dirt, but with a heart full of love and appreciation for his co-workers who had become his family.
Today, Idris’s oldest daughter is close to finishing university. His other children have found their own ways to support themselves and contribute to the family’s well-being. In a beautiful demonstration of gratitude and love, his oldest daughter often accompanies him to his workplace and feeds all of his co-workers. They laugh and ask her why she does it, and her response is simple yet powerful. She tells them, “All of you starved for me that day so I could become who I am today. Pray for me that I can feed you all every day.”
In the end, Idris realizes that he is not a poor man. He has something that money can’t buy – children who love and appreciate him, who have shown him the true meaning of family and sacrifice. As he reflects on his journey, he knows that anyone who has children like his can never be poor.
Idris’s story serves as a reminder that the love and support of our loved ones can outweigh any material wealth. It is a testament to the strength of the human spirit and the power of education to break the cycle of poverty. May we all be inspired by Idris’s determination and selflessness, and strive to create a better future for our own children.
