18 People Told How, With Hard Work, Their Family Overcame Tough Times

There are times when life becomes complicated, making people draw strength from within to get ahead. We asked the readers if they had ever experienced tough times, and they agreed to share the most difficult moments for their families and how their parents stepped up, so they didn’t have to worry about anything.

• When I was a child, my mother cooked a delicious soup she never made again. As an adult, I asked her why she never made that delicious soup again. She broke down in tears and confessed that she didn’t have anything for us to eat that day, so she gathered the leftovers from everything in the kitchen, and that was the result. A kiss to all the mothers who would do anything for their children. © Franklin Fernando / Facebook
• We lived in a small town. My dad left when I was three years old, but fortunately, we didn’t miss out on many things. My mother did everything to help us get ahead: she sewed clothes, attended births, washed clothes, took care of people who were hurt or had some ailment, we harvested coffee in our coffee plantation, among other things. She never stopped working, never complained, and never got tired. I would fall asleep, and she would be sewing clothes on her machine. I would wake up in the middle of the night, and the sewing machine was still on. If I woke up earlier than usual to do housework, my mother was still there, sewing. © Juan de Dios A. Guatemala/ Facebook
• My parents did everything they could to give us the best, my mother stayed at home, so my brother and I were never alone or neglected; we were always clean and well-fed. While my dad didn’t take a vacation in 20 years, and thanks to that, we always had a uniform and school supplies. © Ayk Muebles / Facebook

• My grandmother became a widow at a young age, with 5 children, so she had to work very hard. Her youngest son cried a lot when she left home to work, but he once for her to bring cookies when she returned to be less sad. Buying cookies for so many children was expensive, so, as a cheaper option, she decided to go to a factory to buy broken cookies sold by the kilo. When she returned home, her son asked her for the cookies; my grandmother replied that they were on the table. He ran to the package, opened it, and with a disappointed face and voice said to my grandmother: “They are all broken.” With a sad face, she replied: “Yes, I know they broke. I just fell down.” © Maritza Aravena Norambuena / Facebook
• Almost every Sunday, my mother made a soup with the leftovers called leftey’s soup. According to us it was a delicacy, and we didn’t realize what it really was. © Laura Sotelo / Facebook
• My mother raised me on her own and I grew up as an only child. I never felt poor because she always gave me everything. But when she bought her house, money was scarce because of the multiple expenses and payments. Some days we couldn’t even afford to buy food and then she’d say: “Here, go to the store and buy 3 loaves of bread, half a pound of cheese and pickled jalapeños”. I would run to get them and we would eat cheese sandwiches with chili peppers. For me, it was a delicacy because I loved to eat that. Only when I grew up I realized that those were days when my mother had left work without money, because she already owed her salary, and there was barely enough money for bread and cheese. © Rosa Ramirez / Facebook

• When I was a little girl, we lived in a humble house that my mother called a “ranch.” The house had no wood or ceramic floors, it was just dirt. However, I remember that the floor was always very clean, and with time, my mom got cardboard that she put all over the floor. She would wax them with red-colored dirt to make our floor shine. My mommy always worked hard when the four of us were very little, she gave us everything she could give us. © Pia Peñaloza / Facebook
• The most beautiful part of my childhood is the memory of when my father would come home after work. Sweaty and tired, he would sit down, ask us for a hug and give us a kiss on the forehead. Even now, when I smell the fresh cement, which is how he smelled after hours of work as a construction worker, it takes me back to that moment. © Noe Lopez / Facebook
• I am, from oldest to youngest, the second of many siblings. I remember when I was between 10 and 12 years old, my dad bought us a complete outfit for Christmas. On December 24, wearing everything, I walked down the second-floor stairs. I slipped and fell, but nothing serious happened because my dad was there, and he took me in his arms and didn’t let me hit the floor. © Wilfredo Wilches / Facebook

• I remember there were no sandwiches to buy. My mother would buy sliced bread, butter, and white cheese; I didn’t even know about the existence of mozzarella or cheddar cheese. She would run the white cheese through boiling water to soften it and remove the extra salt, add it to the bread, butter it and then smash them in a pan with another metal pan. Those were the best sandwiches of my life. © Eduards Amaris Barrios / Genial
• When I was little, I got sick a lot with my stomach and respiratory tract, and I always had a dirty nose. Once, our school held a costume contest. My wicked witch costume earned me a prize: several boxes of tissues. My mom was very excited because she had spent a lot of time making the costume, but I was very embarrassed to receive that gift. © Merrie Islas / Facebook

• My parents were hard workers, but even so, there was a time when I was in elementary school when we were pretty tight on money since they had invested almost all we had in buying a house. I was about 8 years old and was chosen as a candidate to model in school parties. Although it was my greatest dream, I did not hesitate to turn the offer down. I did not explain why but said in front of everyone for someone else to do it. Although I didn’t like her, I overheard who the girl accepted as a candidate was, and I knew she had the financial means to do it. I felt calm and happy because I knew that I did not want my parents to have unnecessary expenses and that if I could support my family, it was not a sacrifice but an act of love. © Yane Rox / Facebook
• My mother sometimes ate chicken bones, and I couldn’t understand why. She would also bring us a snack from work; we all wanted to have it, but she didn’t seem to like it. © Lilia Betancourt Guilian / Facebook

Looking back, what moment, good or bad, did your family have to go through that you still remember today?