Didn\u2019t we all have dream jobs as kids? I always wanted to be an architect like my dad\u2014and as an adult, that dream became my reality.<\/p>\n
Growing up, my dad taught me to draw and encouraged me through university. A few months before I graduated, he passed away\u2014leaving me heartbroken, but determined to succeed for him.<\/p>\n
I moved back to my hometown, rented a place near my dream company\u2014where my dad once worked\u2014and prepared for an interview I felt certain I\u2019d nail. I even placed a photo of him on my shelf.<\/p>\n
The morning of the interview, stress kept me unpacking until I passed out on the floor. I had just enough time to get ready and drive to the building\u2014where as a child I\u2019d run through its halls to visit Dad.<\/p>\n
In the waiting room, surrounded by nervous candidates, I repeated Dad\u2019s words in my head: \u201cBelieve in my belief in you.\u201d<\/p>\n
Then I heard my name\u2014and a familiar voice filling out paperwork in the interview room. It was my mother, Linda\u2014the woman I hadn\u2019t seen since Dad\u2019s death.<\/p>\n
I confronted her loudly, accusing her of destroying our family and even causing Dad\u2019s heart attack. She calmly tried to explain that she was in HR and had been planning to offer me the job.<\/p>\n
Furious, I walked away. Later at home I worried I\u2019d have to leave\u2014until there was a knock. It was her again, with the job offer and a plea to talk.<\/p>\n
Angry and overwhelmed, I confronted her about Dad, her affair, and their divorce\u2014but she revealed it happened months before his death, to protect me. She showed me divorce papers dated four months prior.<\/p>\n
Tears fell. She sat with me on the floor, apologizing. We spoke honestly for the first time. She reminded me parents protect their children, no matter how old they are.<\/p>\n
I realized Dad had always encouraged architecture, but I\u2019d loved drawing too. When she asked if I wanted the signed offer, I realized this was still my dream\u2014and I accepted.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"