Everything Is Possible

I’m one of those who believe in what’s possible. Sharing a life experience is impressive, especially if it inspires other people.

“I don’t try to show how intelligent or cultivated I am; I just try to share my soul. Sharing is part of life.” – Paulo Coelho

My Life Story – Everything Is Possible

by Cravenn Bay

My story began when I was selling bread (“pandesal” in the local dialect), starting at dawn every day until the bread box was empty. I was seven and had just started as a Grade 1 pupil. What inspired me to sell bread was my desire to acquire brand-new pads of paper and pencils we use in the classroom.

I woke up early at 5 in the morning and, along with some kids, trooped to the bakery to purchase a carton of bread at wholesale. I sold it for a little more than the cost to have a price margin for my school supplies. That was the only way to achieve what I wanted without asking too much from my parents.

My parents needed help with how to send us all to school. We were a family of five children who greatly desired to pursue our education. There were several options then, one of which was to mortgage a piece of land. Our eldest brother was already a college student in the city. The remaining four of us had to figure out how to continue our high school and college education.

Our parents had a small dried fish stall in the local market. But the income from selling fish was just enough for our daily sustenance. We decided to work either as house helpers or as school working students in exchange for free education. I was hired as a house helper by a teacher in the school I studied in my first year of high school.

My daily routine was to wake up early, go to the teacher’s house, prepare his breakfast, and handle other kitchen tasks. I also did laundry once a week. I was 13 years old, learning to cook and doing household chores for other people. I missed the fun and games of my childhood in this episode of my life.

Some memorable events happened related to the teacher’s bed sheet. We have a shared rope outside the house to hang our laundry. Unfortunately, the string collapsed to the ground while I was in school. The problem was that my neighbor’s clothes were also hanging there. They were all soiled. When I arrived from school, it was hell for me when my neighbor, a beautiful lady classmate, became crazy, shouted, and boxed me, and almost struck me with an object. I absorbed the punishment, and all I did to appease her was to say sorry.

The following year was my second year of high school. I joined my other siblings in another school. My two elder sisters and a brother were already working students there. I was accepted and began working in the school for free tuition. Over three years as a working student, I cleaned all the classrooms and restrooms except the women’s piano room.

On Saturdays, I used to pull weeds in the school quadrangle; I picked up a cartload of sand 3 kilometers from the school with a fellow working student, using only a wooden pushcart. When we arrived at school, we immediately started preparing a mixture of sand, cement, and water to make hollow concrete blocks used in the school fence. Thank God I survived these strenuous physical activities.

Those years, when I was a tiny seven-year-old who started selling bread on the streets and later a working student at 13, 14, 15 & 16, molded me into what I am today. My sacrifices were not in vain when I graduated as the Salutatorian of my high school class.

Because of my academic achievements in high school, I received a four-year college scholarship. My other siblings also graduated from their chosen fields of study. The rest is history, and now I have a family of my own, blessed with eight kids: seven girls and one boy.

I had pledged never to let my children experience the sacrifices I underwent in my younger days. We provided their education with my lovely wife and God’s blessings. I’m proud that our children graduated with their chosen college degrees.

– Cravenn Bay, A Chronicle of My Life

My story is shared with Marie Forleo for her forthcoming book, “Everything Is Figureoutable.” Listen to Marie Forleo at the SuperSoul Sessions | Oprah Winfrey Show.