I WAS WASHING DISHES EVERY NIGHT IN A RESTAURANT SO THAT MY SON COULD SEND MY SON THROUGH COLLEGE. I WAS ASHAMED OF MY ROUGH AND CUT HANDS, SO I HIDDEN BEHIND THE AUDITORIUM DURING HIS GRADUATION. BUT WHEN HE CLIMBED UP ON THE STAGE, THE WORDS HE SPOKE MADE THOUSANDS OF PEOPLE CRY AND CONTAINED A CHANGE IN OUR LIVES.
Cold Water and Calluses
I am Aling Rosa, fifty-two years old. When my husband died ten years ago, I was left with the responsibility of raising our only son, Gabriel. Gabriel is very intelligent and dreams of becoming a Civil Engineer. But because we are poor, I know that I don’t earn enough by selling snacks in the morning.
So, I went to work as a dishwasher at a famous and large restaurant in the city. From seven at night until three in the morning, my hands were soaked in cold water, strong soap, and dirty dishes.
Over the years, my hands had become damaged. They were covered in large calluses, deep cuts from broken glass, and had become so rough that they looked like sandpaper. Sometimes, I cried in pain every night because my fingers were numb, but whenever I saw Gabriel studying under our little lamp, all my tiredness disappeared.
“Mom, don’t work at night. I’ll just look for a part-time job,” he pleaded once while treating the wounds on my hand.
“No, son,” I replied with a smile. “Your only job is to study. I’ll take care of the dishes.”
The Day of Graduation
Years passed, and the day I had been waiting for arrived. Gabriel’s graduation day. And he wasn’t just graduating—he was the Summa Cum Laude and the one who would give the Valedictory Speech to the entire university!
The graduation was held in a huge, ornate auditorium. The parents of his classmates were dressed in expensive suits, jewelry, and designer clothes. They were the doctors, politicians, and billionaires who had sent their children to that university.
Meanwhile, I was wearing only an old and faded formal dress that I had bought at a thrift store. I was even more ashamed of my hands. They were so rough, the nails were turning black, and they were covered in scars. What if the rich parents noticed this? What if they made fun of me and embarrassed my child even more?
Out of sheer embarrassment, I didn’t sit in the VIP section reserved for the parents of the honorees. Instead, I hid in the very back row of the auditorium, near the door, where it was a bit dark and no one would notice me. It was enough for me to see him walk up to the stage, I whispered to myself.
