teamkrejados

One day, I peeled a whole apple and the peel did not break once. While holding up the long single strand of peel, I gleefully proclaimed that I was good at peeling apples, and I could make a career of it. My mother said : "That's the thing about a career: you only get to do the one thing, over and over." I was crushed. I had expected praise, and I got slam-dunked.

After that, I was horrified at the idea of having to do the same thing, over and over, for the rest of my life. I vowed I would never, ever do that. And I never have.

I've been a nanny, a factory production worker, a restaurant worker and a sales clerk, I've been an office worker, a mechanic and later (after some training) an engineer. And now, I am a teacher and traveler. My children - my mother's grandchildren - have been the one constant, stabilizing force in my life. For them I stayed in one place, long enough to assure their future success.

At the time, I thought it was rather cruel of my mother to ridicule my success, but now I see that she was giving me the freedom to experience everything life has to offer without being tied to society’s expectation of a stable career. My life has been so rich because of her observation.

My mother died 19 years ago, but there is not a day that goes by without me thinking of her and cherishing her memory. And I wish all mothers a Happy Mother's Day!

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