“Loving them when you don’t like them” is especially useful to remember when doing such maternal tasks as potty-training a stubborn three-year-old, or dragging two oppositional kids through the grocery store. It can work when dealing with explosive personalities within the family, or interacting with alcoholics and sisters that you don’t understand. It even suffices when a family member or friend makes a stupid comment about depression, which happens a lot around here.

The “loving them” directive reminds me of the poem “Anyway” that Mother Teresa posted on the wall of Shishu Bhavan, the children’s orphanage in Calcutta:

“People are often unreasonable, illogical and self-centered;
Forgive them anyway.

If you are kind, people may accuse you of selfish, ulterior motives;
Be kind anyway.

If you are successful, you will win some false friends and some true enemies;
Succeed anyway.

If you are honest and frank, people may cheat you;
Be honest and frank anyway.

What you spend years building, someone could destroy overnight;
Build anyway.

If you find serenity and happiness, they may be jealous;
Be happy anyway.

The good you do today, people will often forget tomorrow;
Do good anyway.

Give the world the best you have, and it may never be enough;
Give the world the best you’ve got anyway.”