A 10-year-old boy named Jack felt awful that his mother worked seven days a week to pay for their daily needs. He decided to take matters into his own hands by visiting his mom’s office and talking to her boss in hopes of giving her a break.
Jack was a 10-year-old boy who lived with his single mom, Debra. He never met his dad, so his mom stepped up as both mom and dad for the young man.
Debra worked as a cleaner seven days a week at a big company. She chose not to have any days off to earn more money for Jack’s daily needs.
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The hardworking mom never showed it, but working all days of the week was exhausting for her. Cleaning a multi-floor building was no easy feat, and her body ached because of it.
One day, Jack saw his mom sitting on their front porch, crying. He watched her through the window and heard her talking on the phone with her friend. “I’m just so tired, Emily,” Debra cried. “I want to rest, but I can’t. I barely earn enough to care for Jack and pay the bills. I can’t afford any days off,” she told her friend.
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Jack felt sad that his mom could not rest because of him. He blamed himself, and he wanted to help her. The following day, after school, he made his way to his mom’s office.
“Hello, Jack. Are you looking for your mom?” the receptionist asked him as soon as he entered the building. Jack quickly shook his head.
“No, ma’am. Please don’t tell my mom that I’m here. I’m here to see her boss, Mr. Jefferson,” Jack told the woman.
The woman was surprised to hear this; it showed on her face. Nonetheless, after Jack’s constant pleading, she decided to give Mr. Jefferson a call to inform him of his unexpected visitor.
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Mr. Jefferson allowed the woman to take Jack to his office and when Jack got there, he suddenly felt nervous.
“To what do I owe this pleasure, young man?” Mr. Jefferson asked Jack. He told him to sit on the couch in front of his table.
“Sir, I’m Jack. My mother, Debra, works here as a cleaner,” Jack said, clearing his throat. “I came here to ask if you could please allow my mom some paid days off. She refuses to take a day off even though she’s tired because she says she needs the money to take care of me,” he explained.
Mr. Jefferson was surprised to hear this. “I know how hard your mom works, Jack, and we’re grateful for her service. I’m surprised to hear that she wants to take a day off but refuses to do so. Are things difficult at home?”
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Jack nodded his head. “It’s only my mom and me at home. It’s always been this way because I never met my dad. Through the years, my mom worked hard to pay our bills and care for me properly. I heard her crying on the phone yesterday, complaining about her body aching. I just feel bad about it, sir,” Jack cried.
At that moment, a young voice spoke up from inside the room. Jack didn’t notice earlier that Mr. Jefferson’s little daughter was there. She was Jack’s age.
“Dad, I know what he’s talking about. You’re just like his mom. You’re always at work and you hardly spend time with me. You’re rarely home! Jack also wishes for more time with his mom,” she told her father.
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Mr. Jefferson realized that his daughter made a lot of sense. He felt terrible that he had been pouring all of his time into his work and somehow neglecting his family in the process. He promised to help Jack and his mother before sending Jack home through the office chauffeur.
The day after Jack’s surprise visit, Mr. Jefferson called Debra to his office. “Your son came here yesterday, and he said some surprising things,” he told Debra.
Debra looked at him nervously, curious about what Jack could have said to merit a meeting with the company CEO. “There’s no other way to say this, but you’re fired, Debra,” Mr. Jefferson said.
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The look on Debra’s face dropped. She was gutted and started to panic. “Sir, no! I don’t know what my son said, but he’s just a boy. I’m so sorry for whatever he said. Please don’t fire me. I really need this job!” she pleaded.
“Don’t be silly, Debra,” he replied. “You’re one of the most hardworking people I’ve ever met! I’m not going to fire you for no reason. You see, yesterday, your son visited me while my 10-year-old daughter was here. They both made me realize some things.”
“Our kids won’t be young for long, and I think it’s important we pay attention to them and give them time. I’ve decided to take my family on vacation, and I want you and Jack to come with us. Of course, the entire vacation will be paid in full,” Mr. Jefferson revealed. “What do you say?”
Debra was confused. She had just lost her job – she couldn’t possibly afford to go on vacation. She worried about not having money flowing in for their daily expenses.
“I appreciate your kindness, sir, and I would love to spend time with my son, too, but I just can’t afford not to have a job right now. Please, sir, if you could just give me a chance, I would like to keep my job,” Debra begged once more.
“That won’t be possible, Debra. You don’t belong in the corporate world. I want to invite you to work for my family instead. You and Jack can live with us. We have a cottage in our backyard that would be perfect for you two,” Mr. Jefferson offered.
“You only need to work a couple of hours a day, and then you can retreat to the cottage where you and Jack can spend more time together. You have raised a fine young gentleman who truly cares about his mother – you must treasure him!”
At that moment, Mr. Jefferson pulled out a bouquet of flowers from under his table. “This is from your son,” he smiled, handing it to Debra. “Go home and have a great day with him.”
Debra couldn’t believe her luck. For the first time in years, she and Jack were able to go on vacation. They traveled to the Bahamas with Mr. Jefferson’s family, all expenses paid. When they returned, they moved into their new cottage home, which was situated in a luxurious estate that they used to only see in magazines.
What can we learn from this story?
Even the most hardworking people have their breaking points. Debra refused to take a day off because she needed to work to pay the bills. She cried about her exhaustion but powered through the next day and still went to work anyway. Paying attention to our bodies is important, as not taking care of ourselves can lead to more costly complications.
Our children deserve our love and attention just as much as our jobs. Debra and Mr. Jefferson could not spend time with their children because of work. In the end, they both realized that family must always come first and that their lives should not revolve around their jobs alone.
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