Work Stories

Another day at the balloon factory…

Water cooler talk nearby. I overhear a conversation that sounds like something straight out of a movie, the kind of story you only hear from people who’ve truly been through it.

My coworker seems sad, and another asks her why. Hesitantly, she mutters, “How many bad things can happen to good people before they finally break?”

She explains that her cousin’s husband came to the U.S., leaving his wife and daughter behind to seek a better future for all of them. It wasn’t easy for her cousin to stay behind and raise their daughter alone, but somehow they made it work. He worked tirelessly to get his documents in order and save as much money as possible so he could finally bring his family to the U.S.

That day comes. They reunite. They move into the perfect place. For a moment, everything feels worth it.

Then, just a few months later, he’s involved in a car crash that takes his life.

She hasn’t been able to fix her immigration status yet since he was sponsoring her. Unable to pay rent, she has to find somewhere to go, secure a job, and figure out an entire career in a matter of weeks… all while grieving her husband and trying to feed and care for her daughter…

If you’d excuse me , I have to cry in the bathroom…