I cannot believe how fast time flies! There was a time in my life about nine months ago when I used to stay in a shelter with my son. It was a necessary decision for me to leave the house where I had been living with my partner because I could no longer bear being treated unfairly by him.
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In the end, I could just have moved in with a family member. However, I can't say friends because I don't have any around or anyone that I can confide in.
The decision was to make a complaint to the authorities. Through my counselor, who works with the officials responsible for domestic violence, I got connected to the right source. The relationship had been inconsistent even before that decision was made.
I met the director of the shelter as soon as I got there, who is a humanitarian. What's interesting is that the shelter is not owned by the government, but by a nongovernmental organization, which is quite unusual. After staying at the shelter for a few weeks, I was planning to write an examination for my further education. The shelter's director offered to help me financially with that exam.
My counselor, however, called me and I explained everything that had happened to me, and what I had planned to do. I was glad she saw that it was an excellent idea, but she advised that I get a job first and save up the money for an apartment. Also, she said I wouldn't even need someone to pay the exam fees for me in the future when I'm settled because I'll be able to pay them myself. She wanted me to concentrate on the future rather than the present.
At the shelter, I only had three months to stay. Although one can ask for an extension if necessary.
After listening to my counselor, I saw sense in all she had said and made the decision. Taking into consideration the temporary nature of my stay, I chose to take advantage of the opportunity and follow the counselor's advice.
Those moments were scary for me, and I felt a variety of emotions in my heart at that time. It takes courage to take that first step when you're doing something different from what you're used to. Uncertainty and fear can accompany the change.
Those moments I felt so down, the burden felt too heavy. I had my hands on hairstyling and makeup. However, they wouldn't give me the money I needed to rent an apartment in that time frame.
Taking a deep breath, I decided to get back on my feet and start looking for a job. During the weeks I spent doing this, all the effort I put into it was a total waste of time and energy.
Luckily for me, when I was called to meet with the director for a discussion session in person, a friend of hers happened to come in. I perceived her as someone whom she respected and valued.
In the midst of exchanging greetings for a few minutes, she then took the opportunity to tell her friend about me. She said that I was in need of a job. As a result, I was so lucky that I got a job as an instructor at the gym the following week through the lady I met. I was amazed to find out that the friend of the director was the gym's CEO just a few days later.
I had a wonderful first month working there, and everything was fine. I already took my son to my mother's place, so that he could resume school and I could resume my job. I had planned to do my best, to work hard, get an apartment, and be with my son. Although I didn't like that I wasn't with him, I knew that it was a sacrifice that needed to be made.
Throughout my time working at the gym and studying the rules, I started to become concerned. I was worried about how I would manage to meet up with work as well as take care of my son when I finally got my own apartment. Considering that the start time for work was 6:30 AM and the closing time was 8:00 PM, I became anxious.
I was concerned about finding a reliable form of childcare that could accommodate this schedule as well as provide a secure and nurturing environment for my son. Furthermore, I was worried about the cost of childcare, as I had limited financial resources.
It started to worry me about how I was going to manage to get my son ready for school in the morning. I was worried that I would not meet the resumption time of my job. I also knew that being late would be reflected in a reduction in my salary later on
In addition, I worried about how I would pick him up from school and care for him after he finished at 4:00 PM. I didn't know how I would cope with everything, and my job closed at 8:00 PM. However, I did not allow that to stop me from doing my best at work. While my salary was not much, I felt it would take me over a year to save enough money to rent an apartment. Having little to spend on food was also a challenge since everything I earned went into savings.
My phone notified me a few months later that I had been awarded the grant I applied for a few months ago. The guidelines I had to follow were written in the mail as well. It took another two months for everything to be done and approved.
At first, I intended to use the grant to start my own business. However, when I realized that I had a pressing need for the apartments, I changed my mind. However, I had to provide the landlord's account details so the money would be deposited there directly. I cheerfully obtained the necessary details and forwarded them to the official in charge of the grant. Finally, the money was deposited, and my apartment was ready.
My savings for that purpose were put toward getting things to put up the apartment so I could move in. Unfortunately, I had to leave the job and I don't regret it. Although I was worried about how I would find another job to support myself and my son since he was now with me, someone soon recommended me to a job, and it was a remote job, exactly what I wished for to be able to watch over my child.
Today, I have the privilege of waking up my son every morning and preparing him for school. It was exactly what I wished for while working at the gym, and it seemed as if the universe was in my favor that all I had been worried about never happened, because I can do my job from home while he is at school, and I can help with his homework when he returns from school.
In regard to the exam I wanted to take during my stay at the shelter, I managed to pay the fees myself. I passed the exam just as the counselor predicted. I felt a deep sense of satisfaction in achieving my goal, knowing that with hard work and perseverance, I could make my dreams a reality.
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