I had a very bad year in my life. My mother died in...

I had a very bad year in my life. My mother died in February. I was 16 in April and graduated from high school that June. My father died in August and the mortgage was foreclosed in October. I can remember thinking, This is tough, but this is good for me. It's always stuck with me. I knew somehow that I was going through a period that was strengthening.