The greatest compliment

The greatest compliment you can ever receive from your own mother is that she thinks you're a good parent. All the difficulties between you and her seem to not matter anymore. I take it day by day on how hard my parents can be, but the simple fact that my mom believes I'm good at what I do makes all those issues seem minute. And the fact that I don't live with them anymore does wonders.

I consider myself an overall confident person with the average flaws, but becoming a mother has brought out a newfound confidence. I've always been self-conscious about very insignificant normal things like the average person. Things that I never thought I would get over. Things that I never knew could be gotten over. Yet here I am, content as ever, with a clear path and clear goals. Oddly enough, I really think it's due to my parents not being in-yo-face with me now. I cared about what they thought of me so much that I let it affect my deepest core.

It's a slow process to mend. Distance from the source does wonders, despite the fact that you can be drawn to the same problems elsewhere. So I've learned to simply deal and not bring up the past any longer. Now I feel free that they are at least happy for me.

The main thing is that image is no longer an issue. I no longer worry about what people think. I wish I can say I was one of those people who never cared what people thought, because I acted like it, but deep down, even those who say they don't care what people think really do care. Otherwise, why would they advertise as such? Think about it, those spirited people who claim they are carefree and do as they please hear that so-and-so is backstabbing them - they confront them straight up. There, they obviously care what people think.

There should be a balance. Never too happy, or hurt, or angry, or excited. By all means, have opinions but don't let them eat you or others up.

I talk of these things because I don't need anymore stress than I already have. And neither do you all.

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On another note.

For those who have had dear pets who have been lost or have died or you're just one of those people who have sensitive heartstrings.

"We sat together for a while after Belker's death, wondering aloud about the sad fact that animal lives are shorter than human lives. Shane, six years old, who had been listening quietly, piped up, 'I know why.'

Startled, we all turned to him. What came out of his mouth next stunned me. I'd never heard a more comforting explanation.

He said, 'People are born so that they can learn how to live a good life - like loving everybody all the time and being nice, right?' The six-year-old continued, 'Well, dogs already know how to do that, so they don't have to stay as long.' "