My mom said to get ice cream,I need money.
To get money,I need a job.
To get a job,I need a degree.
To get a degree,I need to study,so I studied.
But everyone was studying to get what they wanted,so I had to study harder.
I got a degree,but couldn't find a job.
To get a proper job,I needed experience.
So I worked small jobs.I learned to bow moreand to be more convenient.
I landed a good job and everyone congratulated me.
They said it's time to settle down and get married.
To get married,I needed to have a house and a car.
So I worked harder,buried myself in debts and commitments.
I got a house and a ca rand a wife.
And they said my life wasn't complete,so it was time to think about children.
But to get children,I needed a bigger house,bigger car,bigger income.
So I hustled again and got promoted and became a manager.
One child,then another.I thought that's all I wanted.
The next stage passed in a blur.
Saving up for college tuitions,driving the kids to school,worrying about them as they leave the nest one by one.
Until one day,my granddaughter asked me if I wanted to taste her ice cream.
I looked at the ice cream in her tiny hand and smiled.
I couldn't taste her ice cream because I had diabetes.