My connection with my Mom had always been special. If anything ever happened, for better or worse, we were there for each other. I'd taken that deep, meaningful connection for granted as a child - that's pretty much what kids do, isn't it? -- but I think I got a head start on appreciating both the strength and the uniqueness of our bond.

Even as a teenager, I would have proudly counted my Mother in the ranks of my closest friends. I had plenty that were my own age, but I could not be vulnerable with them the way I could with her. None of my friends could relate to the closeness I shared with Mom, and that made me sad for them. She was such a prominent source of comfort that I could not imagine life without her. Mom was a guiding light throughout my childhood, but as I entered adulthood she began to embody something entirely different.