Mom…was complicated

Trina didn't have the dream mother. Unlike Sean's mom, who was friendly and always had fresh baked cookies on hand, Trina's mother was distant and overly strict.

Once she forgive her mom, she focused on the takeaways.

"I learned from my mom how NOT to be.

I decided even before I had kids that I was going to smother them with hugs and kisses. And I was going to be present."

In her letter to her children, Trina set out to portray her mother as a complicated woman -- someone who wasn't all bad or all good. Who is?

"Mom showed her love in other ways. When I pointed out a dress in a store window, Mom got the fabric and made that exact dress."

Including complex relationships in your letter is not a downer. They're a part of who we are. Because the focus is on the lessons learned, Family Love Letters is an excellent forum to describe these challenging dynamics

Trina didn't shy from describing her mother's shadow side. But she also made it clear to her family that she didn't question her mother's love for her. And she loved her mother right back.