Four years after my mother’s death, I’m sharing a candid look at how I’ve come to understand Patricia Renteria as a whole person—long before she was “Mom.” I honor her, I sympathize with her, and I see her clearly today. This shift also reframes my view of my father and our family dynamics, a process that therapy helped me navigate. This is a honest, intimate reckoning and an invitation to grieve, learn, and heal.