The Untold Story Behind Work
As I put on my vibrant colored uniform, I could not be more thrilled to be following in the footsteps of my father. Oh, how I will never forget the day that I first walked into my father’s restaurant as an employee and not as the owner's daughter. The rush of adrenaline that consumed my body as my ten year old self took in the immense feeling of responsibility. Looking back now, I could not be more grateful for the opportunity that my father gave me. The chance of learning how to work at such a young age which enabled me to become a considerate woman that appreciates all the opportunities that life gives me.
My father came from a home where the choices stood clear on the table. Either he worked for a better future or he waited and let fate decide the direction of his path. He graduated high school but unfortunately for my father, the fascinating idea of reaching the doors of a university was simply an unreachable dream. The only advice that his father could offer him was that no dream was crazy enough if he was willing to put in the work for it. So he left Mexico at the age of seventeen and moved to the United States in search of a better life and a landscape to build his dreams.
Sadly for my father, life in the US was one filled with difficult and heartbreaking moments. For many days he asked himself if moving to this country was really the wisest choice but thankfully he never put his head down. After many years of struggle and hard work, life looked up to him. His dream of owning his own business became a reality and he continued working day and night to fuel his dream.
When I got to the age of ten my father began to introduce the family business to me. As a child, I remember walking into the restaurant and feeling intimidated by the fast-paced environment. I was afraid that I would mess up but I was thrilled to be a part of my father’s world. Often people would approach my father and say, “Do you really have a child working here?”
My dad would respond with a smile on his face, “Of course she costs me a lot of money!” Our faces would automatically meet and our smiles would greet each other. What those people did not know is that my presence was never forced there, on the other hand, I myself awaited the arrival of the weekends in order to be present at work and absorb all the advice that my father had to offer me.
As my life began to unfold, the hesitant child that once walked the floors of the restaurant bloomed into a strong girl that thrived in the challenging atmosphere. I welcomed the fear of failing and making mistakes because I knew that in the end it would make me better. Intimidation was no longer what took over my body, it was passion. Being present in my family’s business created a sense of being that I had never felt anywhere else. Every action I made was done with love and responsibility. From every, “How was your food today?” and “Let me know if there is anything I can do for you!” laid the most sincere and caring intentions. At such a young age my parents had gifted me the greatest gift without knowing. The gift of learning how to work for my dreams.
In life, there is truly only one way to reach that finish line that we set in our minds. The secret is having the will to work day and night and put in the effort that others refuse to do. My parents may have not had the opportunity to make it to a university and study their preferred career, but that does not make me any less proud of them than I am today. Because they found a way to succeed and paved their own road for my sisters and I to take off on. They have taught me and continue to teach me every day the value of hard work and how it can impact your life. There is nothing about my childhood that I would change. On the contrary, I am humbled to have been given the opportunity to work and learn to be grateful for the small or big moments that life gives you.
Nowadays, I feel that society has not done the most adequate job in teaching young minds how to truly reach their dreams. Sometimes we like to think that just by dreaming our goals will be met overnight but unfortunately that is not the case. If working in my family’s business has taught me anything is that nothing is ever handed to you everything must be gained. Instead of focusing on what we want to have, we should focus on how much we are willing to put in. Life itself is never about the product but the process. It is about the effort and the challenges that we are willing to confront in order to reach those dreams that seem so unreachable.
If now I could go back in time to those people who questioned my father for making me work as a child I would speak up and make them see what I have learned in my seventeen years of living. I would say, “Yes, I am working here and this is why I am proud to be present in my family’s business at such a young age.” By being here I have learned to be grateful for everything that my parents have been able to offer me. They came from nothing but still yet managed to give me everything. When I come to work and put on my uniform I see the reflection of my parents in the mirror and it makes me proud. So yes, I would rather be here learning from my father the meaning of hard work so one day I can accomplish my dreams and make them as proud as I am of them. I may not come from a family of college graduates but I do come from one that is always putting in the hard work and dedication to reach their dreams and that is enough for me.