The first Mother's Day without Mom is very difficult. I had several media interviews on that very topic because more and more of us face it every year.

Go to my web site (www.DearMomBook.com) and read the first chapter of the book. If you'd like my free e-letters, just e-mail me at DeeDee@DeeDeeRaap.com. I have six issues I can send you, and they might help you as well.

Healing is a journey, a very intimate journey. Writing letters to Mom gave me closure as I remembered so many little things about her that I missed. But it also gave me a way to find the things we have in common, and yes, as I tell my daughters, we do become our mothers! At least the good parts of them. (My recommendation is to take the best, leave the rest.)

You're right, we even sound like our mothers, which is one of the letters in my book. When I was a kid and got into trouble, which was more than once in a while, Mom would say, "Someday, your kids are going to do to you EXACTLY what you've done to me!" I said that wouldn't happen because first, I wasn't going to have kids, and second, if I did, they'd be angelic. Mom knew something I didn't know.....and I have said the same things to my daughters. It's one of my finer traditions!)

I'm not a counselor, just a woman sharing her journey, but I really believe in the power of taking the journey of remembering, celebrating and healing. Do you journal? I find it to be critical to my healing process, whatever I'm healing from.

Let me know if you'd like the Dear Mom E-Letters. And take care of you!