Make the best of the situation you have.

Through multiple characters' experiences, the author shows that one needs to learn to make the best of the situation that you have. This allows you to move on with life. The members of Nick's household, Duane Sr, Drake McBride, and Mrs. Starch's students each face existences that threaten to hold them back in life. Nick's household turns from being complete with a mother, father, and their child, into one with a working mother who has to operate as a single parent because Nick's father is called into action in Iraq. Duane Sr goes from being a functional member of a family to a single father when his wife goes to Paris and opens a cheese shop. Drake McBride has started and failed in many business efforts. Mrs. Starch's students fear her and think that she is a mean teacher...