Unknown Author,
One young academically excellent person went to apply for a managerial position in a big company. He passed the first interview; the director did the last interview, made the last decision.
The director discovered from the CV that the young man’s academic achievements were excellent all the way, from the secondary school until the postgraduate research, never had a year when he did not have high scores.
The director asked, “Did you obtain any scholarships in school?” the youth answered “none”.
The director asked, “Was it your father who paid for your school fees?” The youth answered, “My father passed away when I was one year old, it was my mother who paid for my school fees.
The director asked, “Where did your mother work?” The young man answered, “My mother worked as clothes cleaner.
The director requested the youth to show his hands. The young man showed a pair of hands that were smooth and perfect.
The director asked, “Have you ever helped your mother wash the clothes before?” The youth answered, “Never, my mother always wanted me to study and read more books. Furthermore, my mother can wash clothes faster than me.
The director said, “I have a request. When you go back today, go and clean your mother’s hands, and then see me tomorrow morning.”
The youth felt that his chance of landing the job was high. When he went back, he happily requested his mother to let him clean her hands. His mother felt strange, happy but with mixed feelings, she showed her hands to the kid.
The young man cleaned his mother’s hands slowly. His tear fell as he did that. It was the first time he noticed that his mother’s hands were so wrinkled, and there were so many bruises in her hands. Some bruises were so painful that his mother shivered when they were cleaned with water. This was the first time the youth realized that it was this pair of hands that washed the clothes everyday to enable him to pay the school fee. The bruises in the mother’s hands were the price that the mother had to pay for his graduation, academic excellence and his future.
After finishing the cleaning of his mother hands, the youth quietly washed all the remaining clothes for his mother.
That night, mother and son talked for a very long time. Next morning, the young man went to the director’s office.
The Director noticed the tears in the youth’s eyes, asked: “Can you tell me what have you done and learned yesterday in your house?”
The youngman answered, “I cleaned my mother’s hand, and also finished cleaning all the remaining clothes’
The Director asked, “Please tell me your feelings.”
The young man said, Number 1, I know now what Appreciation is. Without my mother, there would not the successful me today. Number 2, by working together and helping my mother, only I now realize how difficult and tough it is to get something done. Number 3, I have come to appreciate the importance and value of family relationship.
The director said, “This is what I am looking for to be my manager. I want to recruit a person who can appreciate the help of others, a person who knows the sufferings of others to get things done, and a person who would not put money as his only goal in life. You are hired.
Later on, this young person worked very hard, and received the respect of his subordinates. Every employee worked diligently and as a team. The company’s performance improved tremendously.
A child, who has been protected and habitually given whatever he wanted, would develop “entitlement mentality” and would always put himself first. He would be ignorant of his parent’s efforts. When he starts work, he assumes that every person must listen to him, and when he becomes a manager, he would never know the sufferings of his employees and would always blame others.
For this kind of people, who may be good academically, may be successful for a while, but eventually would not feel sense of achievement. He will grumble and be full of hatred and fight for more. If we are this kind of protective parents, are we really showing love or are we destroying the kid instead?
You can let your kid live in a big house, eat a good meal, learn piano, watch a big screen TV. But when you are cutting grass, please let them experience it. After a meal, let them wash their plates and bowls together with their brothers and sisters. It is not because you do not have money to hire a maid, but it is because you want to love them in a right way. You want them to understand, no matter how rich their parents are, one day their hair will grow gray, same as the mother of that young person.
www.kibogoji.com 
i understand this story first hand because my mom is the hardworking parent and i help her because i know she is working for us. then there’s my dad who let’s me do whatever , whenever and i get everything i please just because i say i want it, but because how i was raised i always find a way to work for it instead of just asking for it because when i’m on my own i can’t always call on daddy when i want or need something.
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This make you understand how much you need to appreciate your parents and what they do for you in life. Reading this article will help teens mature throughout their everyday lifestlye.
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This makes you understand how much how much people appreciates the things that people do for them. This made me realize the struggle that most mothers make for their kids to succeed.
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This article is so AMAZING! I was imagining watching a movie like this while I was reading this article! I really appreciate my parents alot. I was adopted around 12 years old, without them, I wouldn’t have an Amazing life and a family who loves me so much. I appreciate my teachers for teaching me so that I’ll be a well-educated young lady. I appreciate everything my family and friends do for me, if I don’t have any of that, I would not be success like I am now!
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Great Story. It shows the importance of hard work and the importance of recognizing others hard work.
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My mother and I read this article together it helps me realize how much i appreciate my mom I was truly touched by this.
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This is a really touching story. Made me appreciate how much peole sacrafice so I and everyone else can live a comfortable live that is so much easyer than the childhood of my or anyone else’s parents.
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Ithink this story is basically telling us not to take things for granted. I think because we have so much we don’t stop to give thanks or wonder what it took for us to be blessed with what we have. I do think by being overly protective of your child is destroying them because you don’t give them any room to grow. Your teaching them to be dependent instead of independent. And this only leads to a lot of destruction because when they get into the real world they would be confused. The confusing comes from the wrong path that was taught by the parents. You don’t want your children to rely on people, you want them to make it happen by themselves.
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I think this story really makes a point. We are so used to having things habded to us that we do not appreciate the people who make things happen or we take them for granted. I am now so apreciative of all my mom does for my brother and I.
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Today you have kids who own ipads,iphones,all the latest clothing, pretty much everything they desire. As soon as their parent ask them to do a chore or help out a little more it becomes an issue. My generation doesn’t appreciate everything their being offered. Wether its a gift from mom and dad or access to the internet. Appreciation has become a foreign language to many. This article opened my eyes to how hard my mother truly does work.
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This article made me realize how mothers are so well respected and appreciated and the stress that they go through to raise a child or children especially a teeneage.
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This article was very inspiring. I am now lucky to say I am very appreciative for what I have. I will look forward to experiencing trials like cutting grass. I appreciate my mother alot. And I see it is tough to have alot of pressure and take care of things the way parents do.
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I really liked this article because it shows how some of us are with people who are there to benefit you. like parents. i know i apperciate my mom and grandma for giving me everything i could have and want. but some kids don’t realize that some parents ground them or whatever but for the good not just beacuae they want you misrable. I know not to take anything for granted. One day i will become a parent and will have to work hard to make my kids the happiest with all my effort even if my hands are bursed or with cuts.
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I thoroughly enjoyed this article. It makes me realize how much my mom has done for me and not to take anything for granted.
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I really enjoyed this story. It makes me appreciate everything my mother has done for me.
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I really enjoy this story. Actually, I’m currently watching a tv show about two half-brothers. One grew up in poverty with his mother. He got seperated from her at the age of 12 and grew up raising himself beyond that point. However the other brother grew up with his rich mother and father (they share the same father). He grew accustome to owning anything and everyhting he wanted. I think that the poor brother appreciates life more and lives to his fulllest. Those who have lost something, or have unixperienced somehting but then do it, appreciate things more.
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I learned to appreciate my mother and father for providing me with the things I have. They provided me with a good work ethic by teaching me how to do things on my own. They taught me how to be responsible and hold my own. I appreciate the extra things on the side that they do for me, but I do not take it for granted. I will continue to recognize all the things they do for me.
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I am fine Shaaban!Hii bonge ya shule kwangu.Nipo sema nimebanwa kimuda kidogo. Ila nakudaka ukituma posti streiti kwenye e-mail yangu. Kwa hiyo nakusoma Mkuu na usistuliwe kwa ukimya hapa kijiweni! I just had to read it again!
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My mom works at something similar to the character in the story and her hands are rough. Anyway, this was rather touching. I’m appreciative for everything that I have. Sometimes I’m an angsty teenager but we’ve all been there.
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How you been Simon. I love the teachings from this story. Many people have lost the zeal to raise kids that appreciate anything, we need to go back to the basics “no body is entlitled anything” you got to earn it.
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Thanks so much for this Story! I was touched!
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