Okay, so I'm going to do something different this week.  Today's episode is all me.  I feel like it's a pivotal moment in my life, considering I still carry that super shy person inside of me.  I'm excited, a little scared, and well, Why not?? I’ve been mentioning in the last few episodes the imaginary letter that I wrote on behalf of my mother- by me, for me, to me.  And it originally started off as a monologue way-back-when on episode 50, as I delved deeper to include it in my upcoming book.   On last week’s interview, I became especially interested in something that Dr. Chris Fahrenbach said.  We were discussing Jennette McCurdy’s book, I’m Glad My Mother Died, and we were talking about how enmeshment- when parents are overly reliant on their children for support- can lead to emotional trauma. I asked her towards the end of the interview, how do we HEAL from enmeshment?  And she brought up differentiation - to essentially separate yourself from the destructive environmental influences. In order for us to live our own lives and fulfill our own destinies, we must differentiate ourselves from destructive family and societal influences.  Differentiating from negative influences and identities from our past allows us to become who we truly are, rather than following a prescribed identity from either our family or our society.   So friends,this letter has become a part of my process of differentiation from my pain. With this letter, I can understand my pain, and I can understand my mother's pain. I don't have to hate her, nor do I have to like her. I can see things clearly. I choose my own future. I present to you a chapter from my book. My Imagined Letter. By Me, For Me, To Me