It's really not that hard to put food on the table if that's what you decide to do.

Mom always said people worried too much about their children. Suffering when you're young is good for you, she said. It immunized your body and your soul, and that was why she ignored us kids when we cried. Fussing over children who cry only encouraged them, she told us. That's positive reinforcement for negative behavior.

One time I saw a tiny Joshua tree sapling growing not too far from the old tree. I wanted to dig it up and replant it near our house. I told Mom that I would protect it from the wind and water it every day so that it could grow nice and tall and straight. Mom frowned at me. "You'd be destroying what makes it special," she said. "It's the Joshua tree's struggle that gives it its beauty.

I never had any question that my parents loved me. I had a real sense of self confidence.

Life's too short to care about what other people think. Besides, they should accept us for who we are

Life is a drama full of tragedy and comedy. You should learn to enjoy the comic episodes a little more.