He’s making sacrifices for those he loves

Owen Shipp, whose family lives in Cameron, Texas, is working 80-hour weeks as a truck driver.

“I was in the oil business, running 130 barrels. But when everything took a dive and oil rigs started shutting down, a lot of people got laid off. I came down here to work.

“I have three kids and a wife back home. The younger ones are in private school and my oldest son and wife are in college, so I had to find something pretty quick. Right now, we’re just trying to hold on to what we’ve got.

“I’m a real family man, so the hardest part is being away from them. I hate missing the kids growing up. This past school year alone, I missed so many games, track meets and all of that. And, of course, I miss my wife something terrible.

“I’m so proud of her. She went back to school after 25 years and just got accepted into a nursing program. When she gets through that in a couple more years, then I’ll head back up there and probably get a driving job.

“There will be a day when this is over and we’ll all be together again. Until then, if you want something a little better for your family, you’re going to have to work for it. Sometimes you just have to make sacrifices so you can take care of those that you love.”

— Owen Shipp