I remember how my mother's very careful way of spending money had a big impact on my childhood.
It was confusing because we were not a poor family. Both of my parents made enough money to give us a comfortable life. My dad, Henry, was in charge of stores in a certain area for a well-known retail company, and my mom, Lydia, worked as a nurse. We had enough money.
However, my mother was always very focused on saving money. Her constant saving of money made me really dislike her. I didn't understand why she was so strict, especially when Dad and I just wanted to have fun with little things.
My father was nice, he understood me, and he always made time for me. He was the person I liked the most. His very sad death in a car crash when I was seventeen completely broke me. Losing him felt like losing the only person who really knew me.