I decided not to tell my children about my job or my profession because I didn’t want them to be embarrassed or ashamed of me. My youngest daughter was naturally curious in my employment, so I avoided answering her questions with vague answers, telling her that I worked and then changing the subject.

I would shower in public restrooms every day before returning home from work to avoid raising suspicion with my daughters. All of this was done to protect them from discovering the truth about my employment, allowing them to concentrate on their academics without being concerned about me.

Above all, I wanted them to respect themselves and have a good reputation among others, rather than being chastised for their involvement in my field of work, as had happened to me for most of my life.

Rather than notifying my children about my job and maybe causing them embarrassment or shame, I purposefully chose to keep it a secret. My youngest daughter was very interested in what I did on a daily basis, but anytime she enquired, I would give her broad responses like “I work” and immediately change the subject.

To avoid provoking suspicion in their minds, I began showering in public facilities before returning home each day; this way, I knew I would get home clean and unquestioned.

My main goal was for them to be able to focus on their schoolwork without worrying about me. Above all, they wanted to keep a good public image by not allowing people to judge them based on my work area, which has unfortunately happened throughout most of my life.

Children must be respected by everyone around them and should never be ashamed of who they are associated with as a result of the career I decided to keep hidden from them.

I was always filled with remorse and embarrassment when I saw other people achieve more in life than I had, which is why I resolved to put all of my money toward my children’s education. Instead of buying new clothes, I decided that investing in books would help them increase their knowledge and comprehension. All I wanted in exchange was their undivided attention to me as a father.

I worked as a cleaner until the day before my daughter’s college application deadline, when I ran out of money. As tears flowed down my face at the thought of not being able to provide her with what she required, no one inquired how I was feeling or if there was anything they could do for me. All of these emotions were heightened by the fact that our family’s limited resources meant that nothing nice or spectacular could ever happen to us.

It was a terrible blow to realize that, despite my best efforts, I couldn’t give her what she deserved. Of course, this made me feel even worse about my lack of accomplishment in life, and it left me gasping for air when we came home and she inquired about the application money again.

After work, something unexpected happened: my coworkers surrounded me and presented me their whole day’s pay. Even when I tried to decline their wonderful offer, they insisted on giving our children more opportunities than we did, leaving me speechless. That’s when I decided not to take public showers after work and instead went home in my clothes.

My oldest child has already graduated, and she refuses to let her father return to work due to his age. Meanwhile, the eldest daughter is hard at work, and two other daughters are attempting to pay off their college loans. Regardless, I want to return and help in any way I can, so she drives me there every morning and gets us all meals during the day. It’s a lovely gesture from an already exceptional family!

When they questioned her why she was doing this, she shyly said that she was grateful they had all skipped a meal to help her acquire a college education. She smiled with joy as she talked about her children, and she realized she could never truly consider myself a poor man because of their existence.

Her children were her greatest accomplishment, and knowing that they had made such major sacrifices for her thrilled her heart. She treasured them above all else, knowing they were the best investment anyone could ever make.