The Richness of Love

I come from a family with three siblings, and my parents are still together. Growing up, we had a lot of pets, which was a really nice experience for me. It was never too crowded, and I always had someone to play with or talk to. I felt a lot of love during my childhood, and my parents made sure we never lacked it.

 

That being said, living in a household with six people and numerous pets isn’t always easy. My dad had a full-time job and took care of most of the bills, while my mom worked part-time, handling groceries and meeting our needs. My father’s income was usually steady, but my mother’s income could fluctuate daily. She would receive calls from customers in the morning, making appointments, and then have a rough idea of how much money she would make that day. Sometimes it was busy, but other times it could be very quiet.

 

With one unstable income and other financial challenges my parents faced, there was never an abundance of money in our home. There were instances in the past when my parents couldn’t pay the bills on time, resulting in utilities like water or electricity being cut off. However, even in those moments, my parents always took care of us. They would get packages of water from the supermarket so we could wash ourselves. It may not have been the most conventional solution, but my parents were always there for us. There was even a time when we were evicted from our house when I was around eleven or twelve years old. I remember my mom asking me weeks before if we suddenly had to leave the house, what I would like her to bring from my belongings. I requested my box of gemstones since I had been collecting them for some time. It was stored in a purple glitter box.

 

One day after school, instead of going home with a friend, I found one of my mom’s friends waiting for me outside the school. I was confused because I had never gone home with her before, and I sensed that something was off. I bombarded her with questions, asking why I needed to go with her, where my mother was, and if there was any reason to worry. At first, she didn’t say anything. It wasn’t until we arrived at her house that she mentioned something about a repo man. Even though I was still quite young, her words made me understand what was happening. I knew that everything would change from that point onward.

 

During that time, we stayed with her for a while, but she had her own issues to deal with regarding her own children. It wasn’t safe for my family to stay with them, and the small apartment was already crowded with eight or sometimes nine people. So, the plan was never to stay there for a long time. Eventually, we found another friend of my parents who let us stay with him. He had a big house, but the downside was that it was located in a city far away from my school. Consequently, I had to travel a lot with my mother to get back to my old school. For my last year, I had to switch schools, which was less than ideal, but it was better than traveling such long distances every day. Finally, we moved to a new home.

 

Even after that, there were other instances when the repo man announced that our house would be open for people to come and inspect our belongings. Our furniture would either be taken away or auctioned off, and we would resort to using garden furniture in our living room. I recall being home once when the repo man came to take inventory of our belongings. I looked at them with anger because I knew they would take things away. Of course, now that I am older, I understand that they were just doing their job. However, I do think that being a repo man is not a suitable job for everyone, and it may require a somewhat detached personality. Of course, I could be wrong, but that’s how I feel about them.

 

As I mentioned earlier, my parents never had a lot of money, and there was even a period when we were ‘homeless’. But they always did their best to take care of me and my siblings. We were never hungry, and we always had clothes, even if they weren’t always the nicest or the same brands that other kids wore. We received plenty of gifts during special holidays, birthdays, and even sports competitions. My birthday parties were always the coolest. I could invite many friends, and my parents would make sure there was enough food and drinks. They would organize scavenger hunts, haunted houses, or even take us swimming. As a child, it’s natural to desire the things other kids have, especially certain brands. That was honestly the only thing I couldn’t have, but it pales in comparison to all the other things my parents provided for me.

 

The experience of being evicted from my home and witnessing my parents struggle to pay bills, along with the accompanying stress, has always stayed with me. However, what matters to me the most are all the things my parents did for us. They never gave up and always did the best they could.

If you have a similar experience or you want to share your story, you can leave a comment below or contact me on my Instagram.

 

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