A security guard hid his face as his CEO son walked by. She didn’t want his “lowly” job to embarrass his son’s success.
“Mom, why are you hiding?” Marco asked, not bothering to look at the hundreds of staring eyes.
“It’s a shame for you, son,” Lita whispered as she burst into tears. “You’re the CEO. I’m just a guard. I didn’t want you to be embarrassed in front of your people.”
Marco pulled back and looked his mother in the eye. He grabbed her hand—the hand that was rough from decades of labor. “Come with me,” Marco commanded.
“But where? I am not allowed to leave my post!”
“I am the owner of this building. Come along.”
The Guest of Honor
Marco took his mother to the elevator. They went up to the Penthouse where the Board of Directors was waiting. When they entered the boardroom, the billionaire investors and shareholders were confused. They saw their leader walking in with a security guard.
“Gentlemen,” Marco began as he escorted Lita to the head of the table. “Before we get started, I’d like to introduce you to my VIP today.” Marco stood tall beside his mother.
“Do you see this woman? She is the reason I am standing in front of you today. When I was a kid, she would sweep the streets while I read my books. She washed other people’s clothes so I could buy a school uniform. And now, even in her old age, she chose to be a Security Guard so she wouldn’t have to rely on me.”
The room was pin-drop silent. A few directors were moved to tears.
“She tried to hide in the lobby earlier because she said she didn’t want to embarrass me,” Marco said with a soft chuckle. “But I want everyone to know: the uniform she’s wearing is the most luxurious dress I’ve ever seen. It is more respectable than any suit we are wearing.” Marco looked at his mother and said, “Mom, you are the real leader of my life. Without your sacrifice, there would be no Marco the CEO today.”
A Higher Level of Respect
The board members broke into applause. They stood up one by one and shook hands with Lita respectfully. From then on, Lita never hid her face again. And every employee who walked through that lobby didn’t just say hello to Marco; they offered a higher level of respect and a sharp salute to the Lady Guard at the door—the mother who had been the secret weapon behind her son’s success.
