I work at a gas station four days a week. I usually work the morning shift, opening the store at 4.30 AM and sticking around until two. My boss, the owner, usually shows up around six am in a bad mood, and makes my job that much more difficult. See, he used to be President and CEO of a multimillion dollar corporation, but he lost his company and all his money to a gambling addiction. I felt kind of bad for him, but I figured that his story meant that he had a newer appreciation for people who were less fortunate than him, that he understood that sometimes, no matter how hard you work, you still end up on the bottom.

See, I used to have a job I loved where I earned nearly $100,000 a year in salary plus benefits. I was pretty respected, promoted fairly high up within my organization, and the people that worked under me liked me because I was always fair, and honest, and I had integrity. I’ve worked hard most of my life, and I was proud of myself because I had accomplished quite a bit, despite the odds being stacked against me from the start. I put all that aside to help my husband accomplish his goals, to have my daughter, and to spend the first year of her life with her. My family is far more important to me than anything else.