Dear Bear,

Sometimes I wonder if we had the same Mother. Everytime we talk about our pasts, it seems like I find something new that bonds us even further. As painful as those things are, the bonding is a good thing I think.

When you hear those words as a child, I think they become an imprint for the person you'll grow up to be as an adult. We were so impressionable when we were young. My Mother blamed me for her lot in life everytime we spent anytime together, and those times were few. I didn't know any better, and neither did you.

I don't have any sage advice for you Bear. But I do know that the things that happened to you when you were younger are still with you now. That's not surprising. I bet many of our friends here could say the same thing. But the person I see in you is an incredibly warm, loving, and caring person. And no matter what you were told by your Mother, it's "Not Your Fault". And you need to hear that a lot.

Ah Sweet Bear, we are works in process, aren't we? I'd be awful lonely without you

Love you,
Greg