I decided not to tell my children about my employment or what I did for a career because I didn’t want them to be embarrassed or ashamed of me. My youngest daughter was naturally intrigued about my job, but I avoided answering her inquiries with vague responses, telling her that I worked and then shifting the subject.
Each day, before going home from work, I would shower in public facilities to get home clean so as not to raise suspicion with my girls. All of this was done to keep them unaware of the truth about my work, allowing them to focus on their studies without worrying about me.
Above all, I wanted them to respect themselves and have a decent reputation among others rather than being criticized because of their involvement with my field of work, as had happened to me for much of my life.
Rather than informing my children about my job and maybe causing them disgrace or shame, I intentionally decided to keep it a secret. My youngest daughter was highly concerned about what I did daily, but whenever she inquired, I would give her broad replies like “I work” and quickly shift the subject.
To avoid arousing suspicion in their minds, I took it upon myself to shower in public restrooms before returning home each day; this way, I knew I would arrive home clean and without any inquiries.
My top objective was for them to be able to concentrate on their studies without worrying about me. Above all, they wanted to maintain a decent public image by not allowing others to evaluate them based on my work area, which has sadly happened throughout most of my life experience.
Kids need to be respected by everyone around them and never feel ashamed of who they are linked with because of the career I chose to keep hidden from them.
I was always struck with guilt and embarrassment when I saw other people achieve more in life than I had, which is why I vowed that whatever money I had would go toward my kids’ education. Instead of buying new clothes, I decided it would be better to invest in books to help them broaden their knowledge and comprehension. All I sought in return was their utmost respect for me as a father.
I worked as a cleaner but ran out of money the day before my daughter’s college application deadline. No one asked how I was feeling or if there was anything they could do for me as tears streamed down my face at the notion of not being able to provide her with what she required. All of these feelings were heightened by our family’s low money meant that nothing good or extraordinary could ever happen to us.
It was a crushing blow to find that I couldn’t give her what she deserved despite my efforts and hard work. Of course, this made me feel even worse about my lack of achievement in life, and it left me breathless when we got home, and she asked about the application money again.
After the workday ended, something unexpected happened: my coworkers encircled me and offered me their entire day’s pay. Even when I tried to deny their generous offer, they emphasized they wanted our children to have greater possibilities than we did, leaving me speechless. That’s when I opted against taking public showers after work and went home in my clothes.
One of my children has already graduated, and she refuses to allow her father to return to work because of his age. Meanwhile, the eldest daughter is working hard, and two other daughters are paying off their college fees. Regardless, I want to go back and do what I can, so she drives me there every morning and brings us all food during the day. It’s a beautiful gesture from an already outstanding family!
When they asked her about her intentions for this gesture, she modestly answered that she was grateful they had all foregone a meal to help her get her college education. She glowed with pride as she spoke of her children and realized that she could never genuinely consider herself a poor man because of their existence.
