One day at work a handful of
co-workers and I got into a conversation that soon turned humorous when one
co-worker asked, “So, what’d you do for money in college?” There was instant
giggling because the question
sounded scandalous. Suddenly, we all started sharing different stories about
our experiences working at part-time jobs before getting into full-time
positions. A handful of us had done internships, one person had an interesting
story about dressing up in a costume for kids’ parties, another worked at an
amusement park, and I started thinking about my time as a childcare provider, office
intern for a local magazine, and finally my position as an office temp. The
grind through college wasn’t an easy one. But now I can really appreciate that
time in my life of juggling multiple jobs, and working through school. Each
position helped me grow, taught me a lot about myself, and how to work with
other people. When I was a freshman in college my parents didn’t want me to
work because they wanted me to focus on school, and I remember my father
saying, “Don’t get desperate for money and start doing something like hitting
the strip club.” I wasn’t insulted because I know he was joking, but there are
women and perhaps some men, that may be stripping to pay their way through
college. While I wouldn’t recommend that option, I judge no one. College is
expensive and if you can find a way to pay for it that isn’t illegal or putting
yourself or anyone else in danger, do what you have to do, I guess.
About a year ago, I had a dream my dad wanted to talk to our family about something serious. I wasn’t sure what he wanted to discuss, but I knew it was something I needed to prepare myself for. Around the time after I had this dream, I remember stopping by my parents place and sensing something was going on that they weren’t telling me. I tried to dismiss what I’d been feeling, but I couldn’t shake it. Something serious was happening. As I returned to my home after visiting them one day, I was in my kitchen washing dishes when a heaviness hit my heart like nothing I’d ever felt before. Something’s wrong with dad. That’s what that dream was about. God, what’s going on? As I continued washing dishes, I started crying and praying. Then in mid-spring, my dad held an unexpected family meeting that would change all our lives forever. He hesitated at first, and as his voice started cracking and he started crying, he said, “Well, I wanted to talk to ya’ll to tell you that I have kidney disea...