The last years with my mother, when I consciously allowed her into my life and allowed myself to feel like a daughter, our relationship changed. It became one of mutual respect; we were equals. Two grown women, and both of us were mothers. She had time, because she could no longer hurry anywhere or go off to do her own things—she was bedridden. It was just her and me. Mother and daughter. She spoke and I listened. I asked and she shared.

Connection is a need. It is one of three dimensions how our brains make sense of and feel safe in this world

The quality of our relationships determines the quality of our lives, especially for women. To relate to and understand where people are...