My mom was a very hard worker. I remember she picked cotton & I was small enough to hitch a ride on the sacks of cotton! lol Which I don't think Mom liked the extra weight! Then , we made enough to move back to where I was born, Modesto, Calif.! Daddy worked all day driving the crews in mostly peach orchards. As I got a little older, maybe 8, I'd go to work w/him. Back then it was fun! Mom got a job on a chiken ranch gathering eggs. It was a filthy job, though at the time I didn't realize it. She was always so tired, but managed to put a mel on the table. We were poor, I guess, but we had clothes, shoes, roof over our heads,& plenty of food to fill our bellies. My Daddy, always raised a garden every yr. Sometimes I'd wear my sister's hand-me-down- clothes. But, I'd complain a whole lot! My sweet, sweet, Grandma, would start making me dresses for school. Holiday's, too! None of the kids seemed to notice they weren't store-bought...Mom & Daddy fought alot over him coming home from work drunk. Soon, she decided to throw him out. I think that's when her life just began. Three children & a single parent Was hard, but she went to the Community College & acheived a Certified Nursing Diploma! We were so excited for her!For 30 some yrs. she worked as a CNA working at nursing homes. She won a lot of awards,certificates, & little tags saying "Nurse of The Week", etc. She deserved them, & worked hard for them.She always said "They broke the mold when they made me!" lol (I think they did??)