Topic > How Being Homeless Taught Me to Work Hard

My journey from childhood to adulthood occurred when my family and I sadly became homeless. Around age ten, my mother, older brother, and I were living happily in our four-bedroom house and the next minute we were packing our things. Moving trucks and random people I had never seen before were putting our precious memories—my childhood, my stability, and everything that made our house a home—into the back of a moving van. We were forced to go, and even though I was confused and not entirely sure what was happening, all I wanted to do was stay in that house that I grew to love. Whenever I asked my mom what was going on, she always said, "we're moving in with a friend for a while" or "don't worry, everything will be fine." Even though he constantly reassured me, I saw his shocked look and couldn't help but worry about our future. Say no to plagiarism. Get a tailor-made essay on "Why Violent Video Games Shouldn't Be Banned"? Become Original WiseWe have been living with our family friends for about two years and during this time my brother, mother and I shared a three-bedroom house with a family of four. My mother and I slept in a small room downstairs and shared a bed while my brother slept upstairs in an attic. Even though we shared a room, I could barely see my mother. He was constantly working two jobs just so he could pay half the household bills while trying to save what little money he could to do so. hope to have enough money to have our own house. As much as it might be considered an escape, school life was no easier than at home. I remember the difficulty in explaining my situation to my friends, especially because I didn't fully know. Other guys asked me why I was always with Logan, the girl I lived with, and why they could never come visit me. I always felt melancholy when I told other children that I didn't have a home of my own. I was bullied, feeling that I was homeless and had to beg. It was difficult for me because I had to balance a busy life at home and school. The fact that my family was at their lowest point yet, sparked something in me. It forced me to see that unfortunate situations happen and that nothing in the world would be given to me. The only thing I could do was focus all my energy on perfecting all the other aspects of my life that I could control. This would ensure that my children would never have to go through the pain, confusion and bullying that I had to go through. At age 12, I taught myself to cook and clean the house, focused more on school work, and took honors and advanced courses so I could prepare for college classes in high school. Even today, I continue to self-motivate by maintaining my academics, balancing a job and after-school clubs and activities so that I am guaranteed to make better financial decisions. While it hasn't always been easy, this situation has transformed me into the determined young adult I am today, always striving to do better so I can have a stable, stress-free future..