As a parent, I always wanted the best for my children. That’s why I made a difficult decision – to keep my job a secret from them. I didn’t want them to be embarrassed or ashamed of me. I wanted them to focus on their studies without worrying about my work.
Whenever my youngest daughter asked about my job, I gave vague answers and quickly changed the subject. I would even shower in public facilities before going home, just to make sure I didn’t raise any suspicion.
It wasn’t easy. I felt guilty and embarrassed when I saw others achieving more in life. But I made a promise to myself – whatever money I had would go towards my children’s education. Instead of buying new clothes, I invested in books to broaden their knowledge.
However, there came a time when I ran out of money, just a day before my daughter’s college application deadline. Tears streamed down my face, knowing I couldn’t provide her with what she needed. Our family’s financial situation always felt like a barrier to anything good or extraordinary happening to us.
But then, something unexpected happened. My coworkers came together and offered me their day’s pay. They wanted our children to have better opportunities than we did. It left me speechless and deeply touched. From that day on, I went home in my work clothes, no longer needing to hide my job.
One of my children has already graduated and won’t allow me to return to work because of my age. Meanwhile, my eldest daughter is working hard, and my other daughters are paying off their college fees. I still want to contribute, so my daughter drives me to work every morning, and she brings food for all of us during the day. It’s a beautiful gesture from an incredible family.
When they asked my daughter why she was doing this, she simply said that she was grateful they had all sacrificed a meal to help her get her college education. She beamed with pride as she talked about her children, realizing that she could never consider herself poor because of their existence.
To me, my children are my greatest achievement. Their sacrifices show me that they are the best investment anyone could ever make.
