My cousin once told me he often felt embarrassed when his classmates asked him about his father's profession. He was worried they would look down on him if they knew his father was a blue-collar worker. To make my cousin feel better, I told him about my father who was a cleaner before his retirement, and that we were proud of him because of his determination to make an honest living.
My father used to start work very early in the morning. When he came home after work, his clothes still had an unpleasant smell. But he never complained about his job.
His first priority was to earn a living honestly and make strenu ous efforts to look after the family. My father's upright personal ity is an example to every member in our family and none of us has gone astray.
In fact, if anyone in the family chooses to do something illegally, other innocent family members are likely to suffer too. I remember a corruption case several years ago where a buyer of a trading company was arrested for soliciting illegal commissions from business clients. His wife, feeling ashamed of his corrupt behaviour, committed suicide. Corruption not only ruined the buyer's career, but also his family.
There is a Chinese proverb which says: 'A person who always feels content will enjoy a happy life even though he is not rich.' It says that happiness does not depend on being rich, but on our attitude towards life.
No matter what profession our family members are in or what kind of family we come from, the most important thing is that everybody in the family leads an honest life and treasures each other, even in adversity.
