CHANGING ATTITUDES

Changing attitudes toward something or someone cannot be learnt by yourself, it is the people you

interact with that change your perspective. Back in the days, arguing with my mother was a habit. Every

day she picked me up after school and suddenly argued with me over something foolish. One day my big

brother, which still gets into fights with our mom for no reason at all, talked to me about my behavior

regarding my mother. The way he said I should appreciate what she does for me and to treat her with

respect made me realize that the person that loves me more than anyone in the world does not deserve

that behavior.

When I was in elementary school, my mom always annoyed me with her constant yelling and orders.

She woke me up every day one hour earlier than necessary and always made me eat breakfast even if I

was not hungry. Instead of arriving and waiting for me like the other parents did, she got off her car and

walked in the school to pick me up in front of my friends. When we were in public places and she could

not find me she screamed my name, which irritated me so much. I was mad at her almost every day and

disrespected her for no reason.

I was stunned the day my brother talked to me about my conduct. He told me to calm down and treat

my mom the same way I treat my dad, friends and grandparents, with respect and patience. I would not

have listened if the person who gave me advice was not my brother, since I have always looked up to

him and think of him as my role model. Thus, those words meant more to me than anything else since

he went through the same situation and understood what I was going through but did not want me to

make the same mistake.

Ever since that day, I have changed my perspective about my mom and treated her with respect. We

no longer argue as much as we used to. I now understand that the reason for all her actions was to look

after me, provide me with a good education and prepare me for life. I am grateful for all the things she

has done for me.

I thought that disrespecting my mom was the right thing to do when I was mad at her and that it

would solve everything until my brother gave me advice. He helped me realize that the way I was

behaving towards my mother was immature. Ever since that day, my attitude towards my mom

improved and I started seeing things the way I was supposed to. I realized that my mom was my ally, not

my enemy. She is one of the people who is willing to do anything for me, regardless of what it is and I

appreciate that.