Growing Up Poor, Making It Big

Noe grew up poor in a neighborhood on Chicago’s West Side. From a very young age, Noe worked hard to help his mom and siblings make ends meet. In this video by StoryCorps, Noe (now a college student) tells his high school teacher about the values and lessons he learned in his childhood.

This story is inspiring for two reasons. One is that it shows the the enterprise and initiative even a young boy can have. He has a high sense of responsibility and is committed to helping his family. Every dollar he earned even as an eight-year-old went to his mother.

Yet, his mother is also an inspiration. She raised him him with standards. He never stooped to selling drugs because he knew his mother would be so disappointed. Her influence kept him on the straight and narrow.

And so we have the case for proper financial planning and securing sufficient life insurance. Buy the policy your family will need. Take care of all your estate planning issues, including designating an executor and custodian for your children. Make sure responsible people are in place, with the money they will need to take care of your children and steer them in the right direction, should they be called into action.