My husband and I loved each other very much. When we got married, we dreamed that we would have many children. We imagined how we would gather around a large table as a friendly family, sharing our problems and achievements.
But when I gave birth to my fourth child, the situation in the country was difficult, there was no work to be found, everyone was struggling to survive, they traveled abroad, sold something, bought something, in general, they got around as best they could.
My husband could not bear such a load and left us. I am an orphan, no relatives, no one to help.
I turned to my friend Marina for help, but she tortured me with her moralizing, screaming that I only knew how to create poverty and was completely unsuited to life.
She lived very well at that time and could have helped if she wanted. But apparently there was no such desire.
She believed that she could put off having children, she should live for herself, enjoy life, and then have a child. And no more is better than one, because children are nothing but troubles and worries.
Then she left for another city and stopped communicating with me.
My mother-in-law helped me at that time. Even though her husband left, she stayed with us, looked after the children, helped with laundry and cooking. And I knitted hats, baked cakes for sale, and sold my own dumplings.
Business with hats went well. My mother-in-law and I sold the gold and valuables that we had, bought a knitting machine, threads and started our own small business.
We approached our work creatively, our hats sold with a bang. Then we mastered dresses, sweaters, jackets, and jumpers. Soon we already had a small workshop, where six women worked besides us.
It often happened that I slept two or three hours a day. But in difficult times, I managed not only to survive, but also to give my children a good education, teach them foreign languages and music. Daughters Natasha and Nadyusha played the piano, sons Pasha and Sasha played the guitar.
The children were always my helpers, they understood that a penny of labor is hard to come by.
And not once have I regretted having four children. There were so many common joys, small and big achievements! Pasha took second place in a guitar competition, Sasha became a master of sports in classical wrestling, Natasha won many Olympics, jumped with a parachute, Nadya mastered five languages.
So imperceptibly, in troubles, joys and worries, the children grew up.
Yes, I never vacationed at expensive resorts, did not wear expensive fur coats and jewelry – my children were my jewelry.
Natasha became a doctor and got married. She and her husband went to the capital and opened a massage parlor there. Now their business is thriving, and there are many VIPs among their clients.
Nadya has her own travel agency with branches in several cities. Pasha and Sasha work in reputable companies in the capital.
More than once I remembered my friend’s malicious reproach that I was causing poverty. I wanted her to see my guys and understand how wrong she was.
It’s a pity that my mother-in-law didn’t live to see these days. But I think that she sees everything from heaven and is happy for us.
For my anniversary, my children jointly made a gorgeous renovation in my apartment.
For every birthday, Nadyusha gives me a trip to the coolest resort, the rest of the guys buy a bunch of beautiful things for the trip and give me a very tidy sum for expenses. I live like a lady.
And when I was vacationing in Thailand, I heard a familiar voice on the beach. It was my ex-friend Marina. We recognized each other precisely by our voices; we had changed so much in thirty years.
Marina was stunned:
− Are you at such an expensive resort? I can’t believe my eyes! Where did you get such wealth?
– Yes, before I myself would not have believed that in my declining years I would live so beautifully. And all my wealth is children. – How many children do you have, where are they, what do they do?
Marina lowered her eyes:
– I don’t have children. I kept putting it off, thinking I’d still have time to poop with diapers, and then I couldn’t give birth. But happiness does not lie in children.
– Precisely in children! “Without any doubt,” I answered. And she left because my daughter Nadyusha called me via video call.
The section “Readers’ Opinions” publishes materials from readers.
#creating #poverty #friend #children
2024-02-02 18:28:00
