Even if it's hard, keep going: a personal story of strength and endurance

Never give up

I want to morally support everyone who is having a hard time right now. For various reasons: someone is looking for a job for a long time, someone is getting divorced, someone has problems at work, loved ones and relatives are sick. Those who live in Ukraine feel the war. Before I start my story, I sincerely wish you all to endure all this, and I am sure that everything will work out for the better for you.

I'm not afraid or ashamed to write or talk about it. It's part of my life. My story.

When my father died, I was 15 years old. My mother was 40. Summer. My mother and I had just returned from a family vacation. That summer, everything changed for me: all my plans to enter college in a year and to renovate the apartment that my father had bought on credit collapsed. We were in debt everywhere: to banks, acquaintances, friends. We somehow held a funeral. And my mother and I sat down to think about what to do next.

It is worth mentioning here that my mother is not of the same character as me. She always had: “Oh, that’s it.” She was inclined to give up. That summer I was already working part-time at a local newspaper, writing positive articles related to the life of the city and youth. Even when it seemed that nothing positive had happened in the city for a week, the editor still demanded that I find this positive. That was my first lesson — to try to be an optimist.

My mother worked as a kindergarten teacher and taught computer science at school all her life. So, basically, she worked all the time — every day of the week. She left for work at 7 in the morning and returned at 8–9 in the evening.

In the first 2 years after my dad died, my mom had to take on another part-time job on the weekends. Half a day. The town was small. There wasn't really much work there.

I got a job as an administrator in an internet club for 0.7 percent. By law, they didn't have the right to hire me full-time. And so the club director was afraid, but he wanted to help my family.

So, I'm 15 years old. I'm in 11th grade. In the morning I'm at school until 2–3 p.m. Then I either have a newspaper or work in an internet club. All this ends at 8–9 p.m. Then lessons. I also played table tennis. And I graduated from art school.

Neither I nor my mother had any days off or vacations in those 2 years after my father's death.

In 11th grade, I took my exams early and didn't have a graduation certificate. I simply didn't have money for a party dress, a hairstyle, or the graduation itself, which was held in a restaurant.

I have been working continuously since I was 15. This is a lot for 38 years. This is experience, a lot of experience behind me and a lot of communication. I know what it is like when “everyone, come here”. I know what a lie is and when the refrigerator is empty. But this will definitely never break strong-minded people. It will only make them stronger and give them another experience.

Yes, we are losing. Especially now. But we always need to be able to gather ourselves to take the next step. Even if it is difficult, we still have to find the strength to take this step. And if we fall, then get up and move on. And these are steps again.

I wish everyone strength, patience — and remember that we have one life. Take care of yourself and your loved ones. Now this is an important slogan more than ever.

And please, never give up.