My mother was strict ”if she said no, she meant no. There was no arguing with her. She had a strong upper hand ”literally. She put the fear of God in me. Even now, years after I left her rule, I still get scared about what she thinks. She had rules around the house that had to be followed. One time she didn't think that the dishes were clean enough, so she took all the dishes out of the cabinet and made me and my step-sisters clean them all again. She and I finally became friends once I moved in with my father. She was always very funny and people flocked to her when she walked into the room. She was the one in the middle of a crowd, laughing and telling the funniest stories. Everyone loved her.