Dear Mother, I love you. When you were raising me, what were your views of the world? Were you happy, and in love? Were you confident? Did you love Dad? Were you happy in your relationship with him? Did you feel loved? Did you want to give birth to me? Did you enjoy having me around? As you brought me up, did you love me? Were you generally happy with the way I developed? What were you thinking when you looked at me that way? Or when you said...? Mother, were you often afraid? What were your hurts, fears, disappointments? What were the main influences in your life, Mother? Why did you think the way you did? Why did you speak and act the way you did? (Consider numerous specific examples you find stored inside you.)

Dear Mother, what did you think about life itself? What were your attitudes about the world? What did you think of other people, other nations, religion, business, sex, money, work, virtue, the soul? Did you have deep feelings about God? What, if anything, really bothered you, Mother? And, what inspired and delighted you most?