Mom knows her stuff

I was talking to my mom the other day about being more positive, and she gave me some great advice. I asked her about positivity because she has always been the one person that I could count on to have a great attitude. There has never been a situation that my mom didn't seem able to handle, and she always keeps her cool under pressure. This can't be said for my dad, who is one of the most pessimistic people I know. I think I received equal amounts of the positive and pessimist genes, because it all depends on the day of the week in my case.

My mom talked about how she has always been so positive, and I was surprised by what she said. She mentioned that when she was growing up, her family didn't have a lot. Her mom died when she was only four, and she was forced to grow up quickly. Her lack of a childhood would make many people bitter, but my mom doesn't look back on it with a negative attitude. She instead mentioned that never having something makes it impossible to miss having it. She doesn't really remember anything about her mom, so she never had something to miss. She accepted the situation that was placed in front of her and made the best of it. I am not sure that I would have done the same thing in her situation.

I think my mom was given a special personality, because she is able to deal with extremely difficult situations and people without becoming negative. Two of these people are myself and my dad. I was most certainly not the model child, and I continue to challenge her patience. I think that my dad is actually taking my place as the child, because he seems to always have something going on that my mom has to deal with. He would be the last person to admit it, but he relies heavily on my mom to be the positive influence in his life. I also still rely on my mom to give me advice and listen to my ramblings. Thanks, Mom!