All my life, I saw my mother take odd jobs to earn extra income. I used to watch her leave early in the morning to open the local Burger King before sunrise.
Though she didn’t attend college, she had her GED, a strong work ethic, and a determination to build a life for me where I didn’t feel like we were missing out.
In addition to working at Burger King, she also served in a friend’s food truck, worked at a convenience store, and eventually at our church’s day care. The day care was steady work, but she didn’t like how her supervisor treated her.
My siblings and I had prayed for her to find employment that wasn’t hard on her body and where she wasn’t constantly mistreated by management.
That’s why I was happy to recommend her for a job that was originally offered to me.
I first landed a job in an assisted living facility
I never wanted to work in a nursing home. I thought it’d be too difficult to watch the older people in decline, especially those who didn’t have loved ones by their side. But my mom’s work ethic taught me I could handle anything, so I took a job at an assisted living facility caring for these sweet people.
Working at the assisted living facility, I found that nurturing others, especially those who needed extra help, came naturally to me.
One resident in particular didn’t eat with everyone else, so we’d have to go to her room sometime after breakfast and help her to the dining area.
Every time I entered her room, we stepped into her past. She shared childhood stories and songs her father sang when she was a girl. She never wanted me to leave, but I had other residents to attend to, and it was against the rules for me to sit with her.
When I’d get home, I’d hear more stories — not the happy kind — of how my mom felt exhausted from her day of work.
Although I repeatedly suggested my mom leave the day care, it was a solid job she could count on, and she loved the kids, so she toughed it out.
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I was offered a job with one resident
The resident who needed extra attention was one of the lucky ones because her daughter visited regularly. One day, as I wrapped up my duties in her room, her daughter pulled me aside.
“Mom always talks about you. Would you be willing to just sit with her? I’d pay you,” she said.
Although the job wasn’t right for me, I knew this was the answer I had been looking for. I was sick of seeing my mom overworked and undervalued.
“I can’t do it, but I know the perfect person,” I told the daughter.
My mom finally found the right career for her
The resident and her daughter were excited for my mom to start. Luckily, the resident — and every client since — has loved my mom. She is now a private caregiver for older people. She started a new career in her late 40s.
With this career shift, we could all breathe easier. My mom no longer faced hard labor or underpayment.
Since becoming a caregiver, I’ve seen even the toughest clients become puddy when she walks in.
Now, she’s not just valued, she’s cherished. It’s more than I could have asked for.
