When parents cannot afford vital items, life can become difficult. Growing up with few resources has an impact on everyone. Even as adults, persons who have been through such experiences frequently recall specific events that have stuck with them.
Story 1:
Growing up, we were really poor. You never ate the last of something without first asking. The portions were modest and limited. When I was 11, I was invited to a friend’s house. Their house and furnishings astounded me; they were far more lavish than mine.
Lunchtime arrived. Her mother had prepared the table for sandwiches, laying out three different breads, various meats, sauces, and fruit. Lunch at my house consisted of a day-old white bread sandwich with peanut butter and jelly. We sometimes had thin-sliced meats. We were only permitted to have two slices of meat each sandwich.
So, at my friend’s house, I built my sandwich using one slice of ham because it was much thicker than what I had at home. The mother freaked out and yelled, “What type of sandwich? You need to put more on it; that is not enough.” I said that was what we did at home. They were astonished and eventually sent me home with a “care package” of food.
My parents never allowed me to go to her house again because they were humiliated when I informed them we were poor. © OriansSun | Reddit
Story 2:
When I was about nine years old, my mother got me a bunch of second-hand items and told me she had a fabric coupon and would make me some shorts to go with them. They were quite unattractive, and I complained, saying, “Jessie claims she receives $50 at the start of the school year to buy her clothes, and she can buy whatever she wants. “Why can’t I do that?” My mother burst into tears and explained, “Because I don’t have $50 to give you.”
I have still never felt as guilty as I did when she said that, and I made sure that I never said another bad word about the clothes she made me. My mom was a rock star of a mother despite all her flaws. © chantilly_lace1990 / Reddit
Story 3:
My dad used to get incredibly thrilled about really cheap, ordinary items like plain puffed rice cereal, bologna sandwiches, and unflavored steel-cut oats. He would make us all excited about it, and we would want to eat it instead of the more expensive items we truly desired because of how much he hyped it. Now that I’m older (and a father myself), I don’t think he loved all of these things as much. Instead, my parents simply did not have the money to purchase all of the pricey food required to feed three growing boys. They really made the most of it, though. © Rebelsoul3480 | Reddit
Story 4:
When I turned 15, my father threw me out of the house and told me, “Don’t come back until you have a job.” Fortunately, Little Caesars was hiring that day. Looking back, I recognized he needed the money, but I wasn’t getting the message.
Throughout high school, I always gave him my paychecks, despite working two jobs. The money was intended to be “for college,” but it was actually used to pay rent. I didn’t realize it till I hit 40. © Jawshoeaw/Reddit
Story 5:
I grew raised in a trailer. A fourth-grade girl wanted addresses for invitations to her birthday party. The next day, she informed me that her parents had rejected me since I lived in the trailer. That was a new thing I discovered I was supposed to feel embarrassed about. copyright ohnoooooooooooooooo/Reddit
