A poor labourer never told his children what his job was. He never wanted them to feel ashamed because of him. When his youngest daughter asked him what he did, he used to tell her hesitantly that he was a labourer. Before he went back home every day, he used to take a bath in the public toilet, so they did not get any hint of the work he was doing. He wanted to send his daughters to school, to educate them. He wanted them to stand in front of people with dignity. He never wanted anyone to look down upon them like the way everyone did to him. People always humiliated him. He invested every penny of his earnings for his daughters’ education.
He never bought any new clothes, instead he used the money for buying books for them. Respect is all he wanted them to earn for themselves. He was a cleaner. The day before the last date of his daughter’s college admission, he could not manage to get her admission fees. He could not work that day. He was sitting beside a heap of trash, trying hard to hide his tears. All his co-workers were looking at him, but no one came to speak to him. He had failed and felt heartbroken. He had no idea how to face his daughter who would ask him about the admission fees once he got back home. He was born poor. He believed that nothing good can happen to a poor person.
After work all the cleaners came to him, sat beside him and asked if he considered them as brothers. Before he could answer, they each handed him their one day's income. When he tried to refuse everyone, they confronted him by saying, “We will starve today if needed, but our daughter has to go to college”. He couldn't reply to them. That day he did not take a shower; he went back to his house like a cleaner.
After a few years, his daughters did not let him go to work anymore. All of them started jobs and made decent money. His eldest daughter started going to her father’s old working place and feed all his co-workers. They laughed and ask her why she fed them so often. The daughter told them, “All of you starved for me that day so I can become what I am today, pray for me that I can feed you all, every day.” (Adapted from a true story of Idris, a cleaner’s sacrifice for his children)
Show respect for your work, no matter what work you do: There is no such thing as good job or bad job. Every job deserves respect and sincerity. When you take pride in your work, your status gets elevated automatically.
You never know when and where help comes from, so never judge: Sometimes it is easy to judge people and their choices, even before you give them a chance. Learn to understand and appreciate their reasons and any help, however small it is.
Be grateful for your blessings and do your part: Appreciate the little things that come your way, you are blessed for what you have in life. When you start appreciating and showing gratitude towards what you have, you attract abundance.
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