I’d always been taught to respect adults, but nobody had taught me what to do when adults didn’t respect each other. When I heard my mom’s boss making fun of her thrift store clothes, I decided some lessons couldn’t wait for adulthood.
Growing up with just my mom and me meant we were a team. She was captain and MVP rolled into one, and I was her biggest fan.
My mom worked as a secretary at RSD Financial, a job she’d held since before I was born. Every morning, she’d iron her clothes with precision, apply her makeup carefully, and head out with a smile that hid how tired she really was.
“Liam, there’s dinner in the fridge,” she’d say, kissing my forehead before leaving. “And don’t forget your math homework!”
