When my 13-year-old son Adam and I moved to a new town after losing my husband, I hoped for a fresh start. At first, Adam was his usual sweet, smart self. But within weeks, everything changed. He became distant, stopped doing homework, and started skipping school. The shift came after he began hanging out with a boy named Jason and his crowd.

One night, after a heated argument where Adam lashed out, blaming me for being absent since Mark’s death, I realized I was losing him. The next morning, I quit my demanding job and applied for a cafeteria position at his school—less pay, but more time with Adam.

He was shocked, but I saw a flicker of the boy I knew. Working at the school gave me a glimpse into his world, and though the job was tough, it was worth it. I was finally present—and that made all the difference.