that you had the nasty conflict with your mother.

Mother/ daughter relationships are tough, even the best of them.

Take what is true from what happened, and throw away the rest.

Acknowledge your stregths and don’t allow your mother’s pessimism about the new, exciting relationship to cloud its development. (It could be that she was trying to voice worry for you about a bad outcome, but that she voiced it in adestructive and unhelpful way – is that possible?)

Hope that you have a better day today – why not go out somewhere lovely – it’s a super day today – and nurture your wounded spirit?

I don’t have a very good relationship with my mum and that relationship is very surface. I feel for you but I think you are strong. I know it is hard but the only advice I could deem to offer is to try not to take it personally. She is obviously upset and suffering over the fact that she feels that she has not been the best parent. And if you don’t mind me saying she does seem out of control with her emotions (something I recognise from my mum). This is her stuff but you can’t help but be dragged into it. Know that you have worked hard at your relationship with her so try not to feel too bad when it all seems to fall apart, especially when you have just started to put your faith into it. Take time for yourself today and may the day bring peace to your heart…

Strained relationships with Mums seem to be common around here, I certainly know that very well. Constant searching for a glimmer of pride is exahusting and just when you think you are rolling along nicely the most thoughtless of statements snatches it away again. Something hit home hard with your statement about thinking your Mum would prefer you to remain single…...I often feel that. Yet I am made to feel like a failure because I don’t have a partner or kids. There is an element of me not being a grown up without them, at 34 it’s about time I stopped believing that.

I can’t offer much in the way of comfort or advice given the way I struggle with this on a daily basis. I have come to the realisation that it is all about her and I only have the choice to let it continue to hold me back or simply accept it for what it is and live my life anyway. Maybe making yourself proud is all you can do.

This was just heartbreaking to read. I hope that she does realize that she treated you harshly and apologizes to you. I don’t know if that will happen…. but you deserve an apology. I am so sorry about the dress too.

What can I say? This sucks. I’m really sorry.

With the dress, would you really like to have it finished? If so, you could take it to a dressmaker to finish off so you could wear it on your birthday. Of course, you may no longer want to because of the memories it could bring up, but if you really would like the dress, there is no reason to let your mother take it from you.