God put her in your life at just the right
time. Your relationship with her was more
important than you knew.

You are so right. She brought great healing and order to my chaos.

My mom died when I was 13. Her death had a
> greater effect on me than I realized. I
> wasn't very connected to other members of my
> family other than my sister, but she was 7
> years younger. I was probably clinically
> depressed for many years.

I can't imagine dealing with that at 13. Your probably didn't deal with it at all; just tried with all your weakened and broken might to survive.

My father in law lost his mother to cancer at 13. From what I've observed and gathered from my mother-in-law and his step mom, he became very closed off and still has a hard time being sensitive or compassionate. He's very critical and reclusive. I was thinking one day how loosing his mother effected him. It's with our mothers that many of us learned to deal with emotions, the little things, learned to communicate and know mercy. He has very little of those attributes.

I know that the relationship I have with my children is very different than George. Both important, but very different. You din't get those late night talks, and rich understanding conversations and the girl stuff. That was all lost to you. You'll find it in your children.