<p>
Not to sound too trite, but when things are really bad, there's really no where else to go but up, right? Some kids just seem to be born with dispositions which mean that they can never do things the easy way. They always take the hard path, and have to make every mistake by themselves. I have an older sister like that -- yet she, and the rest of the family, DID actually survive. But I know it took its toll on my mother.</p>