I always described myself in my 20s as "stupid." I was gullible. Easily hurt. I have dreams that were yet to be realized. In my 30s, I felt more in control. I have matured and become quite a woman. Today in my 40s, I am more content than I have ever been and I believe my best years are yet to come. Quite different from my mother's hopeless view of life. When my mother was at my age, she was healthy, has 3 healthy children, a home with a yard for her to indulge in her gardening, and she didn't have to worry about her 3 square meals. She was respected in the community. She had everything one can ever ask for but she never knew nor appreciated what she had. It's true that happiness is a state of mind. She was never happy with what she had. It really didn't matter what she own or what I could have done. Even if she lived another 100 years and given the world, she would have been just as miserable.