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In reply to the discussion: Why Poor People Stay Poor [View all]Rozlee
(2,529 posts)When I was a single mother making minimum wages and the school would call me that one of my kids was sick, I would have to leave work and go pick them up. I'd have to take the bus, pick them up, take them to the doctor and miss a day of work, maybe more if he or she was too sick to go in for a few days. If my baby had diarrhea, I'd have to take them out for 48 hours. That was the policy. I'd get fired. Minimum wage workers were a dime a dozen. Today, my daughter makes a 6 figure income. I sacrificed a lot to make sure they learned the value of a good education so they wouldn't be in the position I'm in. Her boss let's her take all the time off she needs to go on appointments for my grandson who has Asperger's and my granddaughter who has Goldenhar syndrome. If the school calls to tell her my grandson had a meltdown, no problem. She leaves and drops him off with me. She's a valuable employee. I don't resent this. Sure, I'm bragging. I'm proud of her. But, her reality is so different from mine. If one or two of my children had handicaps or had special needs, I would never have been able to work or finish my education. I would have gotten trapped in the endless cycle of poverty and dependency.