Reminder to count your blessings.

I hear so many horror stories about teenagers — how disrespectful, disobedient and disengaged they are. But, a month without my Amber only made clear to me how great she really is. She is affectionate, inordinately intelligent, caring and responsible (mostly!). I am lucky.

I’m not patting myself on the back for a parenting job well-done. But somewhere along the way, she learned some valuable lessons that shaped her into the amazing person she is today. I’m afraid those lessons were not easy ones.

A friend recently told me how disappointed she was in herself for having let her electricity get turned off because her payment didn’t quite make it in time. It brought to mind all the times Amber and I spent in the dark. Or without hot water. Or without any water.

I was a young mother, only 21 when Amber was born. And her father and I split when she was only 2. So, for many years, I was single and living on a waitress’s wages ($2.13 an hour plus tips — don’t forget to tip your server!).

What a struggle. Amber had insurance through her dad’s plan but I did not. She didn’t get to participate in the activities that other kids did. Soccer, gymnastics, music lessons — all were too expensive and my schedule of waiting tables didn’t allow me the luxury of taking her to activities.

Some days, I wasn’t even sure where our dinner would come from.

I remember one windy day when all the money I had in the world, about $73 in small bills from tips, blew out of my hand and scattered forever down May Avenue. Amber remembers that, too, though she was only about 4. We both cried.

I wish I had known then what I know now about student loans and the fact that with a little effort, I could finish my degree and get a good job. Back then, it just seemed hopeless.

The point of this column? First, be grateful for what you do have. You may not be rich but if you have a loving family, you’re richer than many. Second, you’re not stuck in your current situation. There are ways to make your life better. Third, all teenagers are not bad. And fourth, all the money in the world can’t buy you a great parent-child relationship.