A boy begged his mother to give him the last $13 he had saved for his food to start a business. Several months later, he took her to the place where they had lived and gave her the keys to his luxurious home.
Encouraging children to work hard with determination helps them become responsible people. This was something Anna Brito believed in and had taught her son, Simón.
“Who cares if my son and I live in an old rusty trailer? One day, we’ll be able to leave this behind and live surrounded by comforts!” the young widow, who worked as a janitor and struggled to make ends meet, used to dream.
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One day, the mother’s prayers were answered when her son handed her the keys to his $2 million house. The boy had paid a high price to fulfill her dream…
“Mom, when are we going to live in a nice house?” 13-year-old Simón asked his mother. “It’s too cold here.”
Anna didn’t have a quick answer to that question. She knew it wasn’t going to happen anytime soon. She didn’t have many savings, and her salary barely covered food and her son’s education, who was on vacation at that time.
“Very soon… We’ll move from here very soon, son,” she said through tears. “Now, close your eyes and try to sleep.”
But Anna couldn’t sleep peacefully. She was aware that “very soon” might never come. She spent the night close to her son, with a heavy heart and resigned to living in poverty.
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The next morning, Simón’s friends called him to play, but he refused; he didn’t feel like it. He went out for a walk alone and was stunned: one of the boys was making a lot of money working at a lemonade stand.
“Wow! That’s amazing!” exclaimed Simón. He also wanted to set up a stand and start earning money, but he barely had a quarter in his pocket. He walked away very disappointed, thinking about what he could do to improve things in his life.
“I have an idea!” he said excitedly. “Why didn’t I think of this before?” He ran home as fast as he could and was out of breath when he arrived. Immediately, he asked his mother for money.
“But son, I don’t have much left. I only have $13, and I need it to buy bread and eggs. It’s the last I have until the next paycheck, which is next week,” Anna complained.
Simón was stubborn. “Mom, believe me… just give me that money, and you won’t regret it… I’m not asking for a cent more, just what you have.”
Reluctantly and curious, Anna put the $13 into Simón’s hands, hoping to see what he would do with it.
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Later that same day, the boy returned home carrying a bunch of packages. “What’s that?” she asked. But he ignored her and grabbed a shovel to start working.
Anna watched in disbelief as Simón began digging a spot outside their trailer. He tilled the soil, made several furrows, and started opening the packages he had bought.
“Simón, what are you doing?” Anna asked. “Are those seeds? Do we have time for all this? What are you planning?”
The boy smiled, and after finishing planting the last packet of seeds, he looked at his mother and said, “Mom, only if we plant today, will we harvest tomorrow!”
At first, Anna didn’t understand what her son meant by that, but over the following weeks, Simón worked very hard in his garden. He watered it, pulled out weeds, and was happy to see the first fresh sprouts breaking through the cracks in the damp soil.
Soon, the yard that had once been barren was filled with fresh herbs and plants. Anna was amazed. She thought they would only be for their own consumption. But Simón stopped her when she went to pick a tomato.
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“Mom, we can’t just consume our own products. I’m going to sell them at the little stand I’m setting up… We should only consume the leftovers if we want to progress!” he said. Anna was puzzled.
Soon, people wanted to take home the fresh produce from Simón’s garden for a nutritious meal. The boy had used natural pesticides, and everything at his stand sold as soon as it was displayed.
Little by little, he began to earn more money than he had expected. But then he realized his garden was too small to produce more. He expanded it, and this time he grew exotic fruits and flowers alongside vegetables.
With more money coming in, Simón and his mother were able to move into a rented house near their trailer. Anna quit her job and began helping her son in the field. That increased the young boy’s determination.
Together, mother and son sold their healthy products at their stand, which was now bigger and attracting the city’s attention.
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But their success did not go unnoticed by the powerful farmer, Alex. He wanted to meet the young entrepreneur to learn the tricks of the trade and beat him in the race for fame.
One day, Alex drove out to meet Simón and was surprised to see his garden. He looked around and took a deep breath, expecting the smell of chemicals, but didn’t detect any.
“I’m surprised! How can you grow such healthy products without using chemical pesticides, son?” he asked the boy curiously.
Simón smiled and said, “Humans can only survive by eating food, not poison. So why feed poor plants toxins when you have natural alternatives to keep them free from insects and pests?”
The boy’s answer shocked Alex. He was amazed at Simón’s real talent and how smart he was. He admired his skills and decided to team up with him, inviting him to work on his farm.
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“I don’t want you to be just a worker, son. You can be my partner. Together, we can grow good products on my land, what do you think?” the man offered.
Simón couldn’t believe what he was hearing and ran to his mother to share the news. He asked for her opinion about taking the next big step.
After thinking it over, Anna agreed and allowed Simón to work with Alex. During the following months, the boy managed to balance school and working on the man’s farm while tending his small garden near their trailer.
In a short time, the combined efforts of Alex and Simón succeeded. Besides selling their fresh products locally, they began doing so in neighboring states.
Two years later, Simón had saved a large amount of money and couldn’t wait to fulfill his mother’s wish. With Alex’s help, he built a large house in the area where their trailer once stood and surprised Anna with the keys to the home.
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At that moment, Anna realized that her wish had come true. Thanks to her son’s hard work and success, they had a home with all the comforts. She shed tears of joy and hugged her son.
“Simón, my son…” Anna cried out. “You’re supposed to enjoy your childhood, but you sacrificed all the fun and time with your friends just to make me smile. I love you so much!”
“Oh, come on, Mom, I would do anything for you,” Simón replied. “I can always laugh and run, but I couldn’t stand seeing you suffer. My childhood hasn’t gone anywhere… Besides, I’ll always be your little boy!”
Although Simón became a wealthy young man, he still appreciated the small garden that had launched him to success. He continued harvesting his fresh produce but never sold it again.
“You know, Mom, we have to stay healthy and fit. We need to enjoy the fruits of our hard work at the end of the day, so we’re not going to sell them anymore — we’re going to eat them!” he laughed.
Simón continues studying, working, and has found time to spend with his friends. Good luck, Simón! Keep going!
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What can we learn from this story?
• Teach your children the values of determination and hard work from a very young age. Anna raised her son with good values, and at just 13 years old, he managed to implement a plan that would change their lives forever.
• If you see your parents struggling to get ahead, help them however you can. Simón was affected by the poverty he lived in with his mother. Instead of complaining, he worked hard, reaped the rewards of his effort, and helped his mother have a better life.
