If you can read my mind... @ashivette - Tumblr Blog

the part of adulthood that nobody prepared me for was how some nights you’re like “yknow what? i’m in the mood to cook a full 12-course meal for myself” and other nights you’re like “tortilla chips are basically an entire meal it’s fine”

realifedreamgirl

in the jungles of cebu

humansofnewyork

“Several years ago my father used our house for collateral on a business loan. When things fell apart, we lost everything. My dad got depressed and fell sick. My mother was backed into a corner. She had four young children but no income. At the time she was a very feminine housewife. But she asked our neighbors to teach her how to farm. Then she convinced our landlord to let her plant an empty field. He told her, ‘If you can make it yield anything, we’ll split the profits.’ It didn’t succeed right away. There were a lot of pests. Some of the crops dried out. But my mother harvested whatever was left, and it was enough to support our family. She cut off her hair during this time. She got very muscular. She worked all day in the fields but still found time to make sure we went to school. If my brothers and I ever started crying, she’d tell us: ‘If I’m strong enough to do this, you’re strong enough to go to school.’” (Jakarta, Indonesia)

humansofnewyork

“Mom raised me on her own since I was young. My dad didn’t care about our family. He was there physically, but he wasn’t there. He kept all his income for himself. He gambled away our possessions. We couldn’t buy anything for ourselves because he would sell it. He sold all our electronics. He even sold our furniture. But my mother still did everything for him: cooked his food, did his laundry… everything. Then one day she came home from work and the house was empty. There was nothing left but our clothes. I told her it was time to go. For the last two years we’ve been living in a rented house together. Mom seems so much lighter now. We can own our own things. We can actually make progress and move forward in life. I’ve started working at a pharmacy and I’m paying my way through college. I’m still in touch with my father. I even give him money for rent and food. I have no interest in taking revenge. I’m showing him how he should have treated us.” (Jakarta, Indonesia)

cloudedthoughtss

fav spot ever

humansofnewyork

“These types of shops are notorious for cheating people. A lot of them use fake parts to fix your car. But I take pride in doing things right. And most of my profits go back into the business. I could stash all my money in the bank, but I’d rather use it to create jobs. I support five employees with this shop. I handpicked them myself. All of them were being paid horribly at their old jobs. They were living in horrible conditions. They had families to support but were barely making enough to feed themselves. So I paid them double, gave them shelter, and gave them food. If the work is getting done, they can have as much freedom as they want. I don’t give them metrics. The most important thing is that they’re happy.” (Dhaka, Bangladesh)