Every cloud has a silver lining.

My mom always says, “Every cloud has a silver lining,” and back then, I really didn’t believe her. Take sixth-grade camp, for example. I was dreading it from the moment I found out I had to go. I tried everything to get out of it, but my mom wasn’t having it. She made me go, and of course, it turned out to be a nightmare. I spent most of the week in tears, and my mom even got a couple of phone calls from my teacher. If there was ever a cloud over my head, that week was it.

But the moment I saw my mom waiting for me when I came back, I was so relieved, I could've burst into tears all over again, this time from happiness. She didn’t give me a lecture or ask about my miserable week. Instead, she drove me straight to my favorite bakery, where I could forget all about camp. I remember feeling a rush of comfort and relief, like that bakery was my silver lining, just as my mom always said there would be. 

Looking back, I realize how much that moment with my mom taught me. She wasn’t just trying to cheer me up with a bakery trip, she was showing me that even when things feel impossible, there’s always something good to be found if you look hard enough. It’s a lesson I didn't fully get at the time, but now I see that the silver linings are often hidden in unexpected places. And now, whenever I face a tough situation, I remember her words and trust that there’s something better waiting for me on the other side.