Life’s lessons: Appreciation of hard work

A young man applied for a managerial position in a big company. After he passed the first test, the company’s director interviewed him. The director discovered from the CV that the youth was academically excellent. When quizzed as to who paid his school fees, the youth said it was his mother.

When he was asked to reveal where his mother worked, the youth told that she washed clothes.  The director asked the youth: “Have you ever helped your mother wash the clothes before?” “Never, my mother always wanted me to study and read more books. Furthermore, she can wash clothes faster than me,” he replied. The director asked the youth to clean his mother’s hands and then see him the next day. 

At home, he requested his mother to let him clean her hands. He shed a tear as he did that, for it was the first time he noticed that there were so many bruises in her hands. After he cleaned his mother’s hands, the youth quietly washed all the remaining clothes for her. The next morning the young man went to the director’s office. 

When asked by the director on what he learnt, the young man replied, “Number 1. I know now what appreciation is. Without my mother, I would have not been successful today. Number 2. By working together and helping my mother, I have realised how difficult and tough it is to get something done. Number 3. I have come to appreciate the importance and value of family relationship.” Impressed by this, the director hired the youth. He worked very hard and received the respect of his subordinates.