I have had a wonderful and very therapeutic relationship with T these past six years. He's a great guy and I love him very much. I know myself so much better than I did when I began therapy and have grown so much. I'm still struggling on many levels with the attachment to T. I experience a deep longing that I know in my bones is a longing for a validation from my mother that I never got. And as much as T can validate my experiences he will never be my mom. However, the deeper I go within myself and the more I can share with him, the more he can validate my experiences. This is the work; to learn to tolerate the pain of abandonment and try to experience some measure of healing through the validation he can give me even if he isn't my mom.