“Memories”: “My Mother Had to Work 4 Shifts Before We Could Eat”
For many, the phrase “family dinner” evokes images of a warm, comforting meal shared at the kitchen table, a time to unwind and bond. But for one individual, those meals were a rare luxury, with the cost of survival often requiring extraordinary sacrifices. As he reflects on his childhood, he recalls with deep emotion how his mother, a tireless provider, worked four shifts just to ensure that there was food on the table for her children.
Growing up in a working-class neighborhood, the family’s financial situation was always tight. His father had passed away when he was young, leaving his mother to shoulder the weight of raising him and his siblings alone. The memories of their home are bittersweet for him. While there was always love and resilience, there were also long nights of uncertainty and hunger. It wasn’t uncommon for his mother to leave before sunrise and return late at night, sometimes so exhausted she could barely keep her eyes open. But she never showed it—her focus remained on ensuring her children had what they needed to survive.
“My mom used to work at a factory during the day, then she’d go to a second job at a diner in the evening,” he recalls. “After that, she would work a third shift cleaning offices, and sometimes, if she could find another gig, she’d pick up a fourth. It was the only way she could make sure we had food on the table.”
The toll of this grueling schedule was immense. His mother often didn’t have time to sit down and eat herself, as she was too focused on providing for her family. When she did eat, it was usually at odd hours, a quick snack in between shifts or a sandwich grabbed in haste as she rushed from one job to another. There was no time for relaxation, no time for self-care—just the constant grind of working multiple jobs to keep her family afloat.
But for all the sacrifices, one thing remained constant: her determination to ensure her children didn’t go hungry. Her love was evident in every step she took to provide for them, even if it meant depriving herself of basic comforts.
“I remember nights when we didn’t have much to eat, but my mom always made sure we did,” he says, his voice trembling with emotion. “She would give us the last bit of food, even if it meant she didn’t eat at all. I saw her struggle, but I never saw her quit. She gave us everything she had, and I know she did it because she loved us.”
Despite the hardships, his mother never let them feel the weight of their poverty. She worked tirelessly, all the while keeping her children motivated and focused on their education and dreams. “She told us all the time, ‘You don’t let anyone tell you that you can’t do something because you were born into nothing. You create your own future,'” he says. “That stuck with me. It stuck with all of us.”
Looking back now as an adult, the individual can’t help but feel a deep sense of gratitude for his mother’s sacrifices. Although the material things were few, the love, strength, and resilience she instilled in her children were invaluable. His mother’s hard work allowed him and his siblings to pursue their dreams, attend school, and eventually find success in ways they could never have imagined in those difficult years.
“I don’t know how she did it, but she made sure we were never without,” he says, tears welling up. “Now, every meal I sit down to, I think of her, and I’m just so grateful. She didn’t just feed us—she gave us a future.”
The memories of those years are a reminder of the strength and sacrifice of mothers who go to extraordinary lengths to provide for their children. His mother’s legacy is one of selflessness, and her story will continue to inspire him, no matter where life takes him.
