Victim mentality.

So many people nowadays have a victim mentality, as if the world owes them something. I’ll be 45 in a few months, and honestly, that seems like nothing—just another marker along the way. When I compare myself to my mother, who will be 80 the same month I turn 45, perspective hits me hard.

There are times when I want to believe life is unfair, but then I look into my mother’s blue eyes, deep as the ocean, and see the depth of her sorrow and all the struggles she’s faced—struggles that have always been greater than mine. It’s not that I want to feel better by comparison, but I know that most of the time, life is about perspective.

Even though pain is real and sorrow is real, so is life itself. And sometimes, recognizing the hardships of others helps me remember to be grateful for my own journey.