How Did My First Earnings Surprise My Loved Ones?
On that special day, I learned what it means when someone’s eyes light up with happiness. Those bright, shiny moments in your eyes turned into tears, but they were tears of joy.
It made our hearts feel so happy, and we felt a sudden rush of excitement that made us tingle. That’s when we know we’re truly happy.
I was one of the brightest students in my school, and life was so good that I didn’t have to worry about anything. Everything was going well. After completing school with an impressive 89%, I gained admission to one of the best colleges in our city, and life continued to be great.
However, in 2018, my father unexpectedly lost his job. He held a prominent position in his company, but due to the politics of the company owners, my father and many others were let go. Our family was suddenly pushed into a challenging situation, and we didn’t understand how to handle it.
In the following days, I noticed how people’s behavior changed when we couldn’t earn money as we used to. People who used to speak politely started to be harsh and dismissive.
My mother began working overtime, but we still couldn’t cover all our expenses. My father worked tirelessly to secure a new job, but many companies were favoring younger candidates over someone his age.
Each time he returned from his job search, we hoped he’d found something, but it was a continuous cycle of disappointment. After searching for a couple of months, he finally secured a job, though the salary was not enough. To contribute, I began delivering newspapers door-to-door, just to cover my traveling expenses.
When life takes an unexpected turn, people may change, but your determination should remain steadfast. Let their negativity fuel your determination.
After completing college, I aspired to find a job. I was a good student, but I couldn’t shake the fear of being judgemental or failing during interviews. Rejections seemed to follow me everywhere I went.
I began to doubt my abilities, and I turned to writing as a way to express my feelings. I started writing poems to convey my emotions.
That’s when I discovered the Medium platform and how it could help me learn and grow. I began writing on Medium and even created blogging websites, but they didn’t yield the results I desired. I felt useless.
After the lockdown, I completed the last year of my graduation and pursued a data science course, which I enjoyed. I wanted to give another interview regarding the data scientist position. But the fear of failure continued to haunt me, hindering my job search.
The path to success is not always paved with immediate rewards. Your commitment to self-improvement will eventually lead to the recognition you deserve.
Then, I decided to work on myself and spent 60–70 days overcoming my fear and improving my communication skills. I attended several interviews and finally succeeded, but most of them required me to work as an unpaid intern for 3–6 months due to my non-IT background, which was discouraging.
To develop my skills, I started participating in competitions. I wanted to create my side income during that period and then discovered Analytics Vidhya, a platform where I could share my knowledge in article format and earn money. I decided to give it a shot and wrote four articles for them. One of my articles was selected as the third-best in the guide category, earning me a decent income of around 15–20K Rupees.
I chose to work as a content writer while I continued my job search. I started seeking clients and building my brand and portfolio, using LinkedIn to connect with community members.
Sometimes, finding a side hustle can open doors to new possibilities. Your dedication and hard work can transform your passion into income.
During this time, I collaborated with professionals from various industries, securing article-writing projects. Over the last two months, I wrote over 12 technical, in-depth articles, and three days ago, I received payment for all of them, totaling 61,234 Rupees.
This was a significant amount for a middle-class family like ours. I was unsure how to use it, but I’d always wanted to give a meaningful gift to my parents. Every year on her birthday, my mom would say, “I’ll buy a refrigerator next year.” I’ve been hearing that since I was a child. So, I decided to fulfill that dream.
The next day, My sister and I went to a store to pick out a good refrigerator, even though we had no idea which one was the best. We settled on a double-door, convertible refrigerator.
On Dussehra day, I received a call from the shop owner, saying the delivery was on its way. I sent my mother to our neighbor’s house, telling her they were calling her over. As she was busy talking, we quietly brought the refrigerator into our home and placed it in the kitchen.
When my mother returned and asked what to make for lunch, I told her to make whatever she liked but asked for homemade ice cream for dessert. She started laughing and playfully asked if I was mocking her for not having a fridge.
Then, she turned and saw the refrigerator in our kitchen. She stood there, speechless, surprised with tears in her eyes. She began to ask numerous questions: “Who bought it, where did the money come from, and if we had taken a loan?” She was overwhelmed with emotions, and seeing her joy brought tears to our eyes as well.
Sometimes, the most beautiful surprises are the ones that leave us speechless. Love and thoughtfulness brought tears of joy to your mother’s eyes.
After that, We performed a small puja, and after four hours, we started using the new fridge. My mom asked if my dad had bought it, and I said yes.
In the evening, when my father returned from the office, we looked at him as if he were a hero and we were audience. He didn’t know what was going on and asked what we were looking at. We played it cool and offered him water, asking if he wanted it normal or cold.
He was confused about what “normal or cold” meant, and my sister brought him a glass of water with ice. When he saw the ice, he looked at us, and we were all smiling. He laughed and asked what was happening. We told him to go to the kitchen, and when he saw the refrigerator, he was pleasantly surprised. He didn’t ask many questions as a mom, just how we managed it.
At that point, my mom inquired about when he had purchased it, and he replied, “I didn’t buy it.”
Then, I explained everything I had been doing for the past two months, how much I had earned, and how I had managed to get the refrigerator. This was the moment when I saw tears of happiness in both my parents’ eyes.
Gifts come in all shapes and sizes, but the most meaningful ones are those that come from the heart.
Final Thoughts
I know this wasn’t a fancy and costly gift like what we see in YouTube videos, but for me and my family, it was the one thing that made our day and brought tears of joy to our eyes. That was unforgettable.
I want to tell everyone, especially beginners who may be feeling demotivated by their earnings or the challenges they face, not to give up.
Starting late can be an advantage, as it teaches you to move with purpose and determination. Your journey is uniquely yours, and it’s never too late to achieve your dreams.
If you enjoyed this article, be sure to follow and share it with your writer friends who may be feeling demotivated.
