If you’re like me - and many of my clients - it’s likely you didn’t have precisely the relationship you might have liked with your mother growing up. There may be many parts of your inner child that feel neglected, unloved, unfulfilled, remorseful, or even deeply upset about your relationship with your mother (or father).

But, since I write for women, and this is Mother’s Day, let’s focus specifically on the relationship you had with your mother. Today, I want to offer you a very special exercise I share with many of my clients who are working to repair their relationship with alcohol, only to find that there is so much more that has contributed to their drinking habits than the presence of alcohol.

While I truly believe that all of our parents did the best they could with the knowledge and resources they had, this sentiment doesn’t matter to a child who is making meaning out of experiences with their initial attachment figure. Yes, I’m sure your parents did have the best of intentions, yet the interpretations of our young mind are what stick with us. These early interpretations are imprinted on our psyche and often dictate how we judge our own worthiness and capability as an adult.

I found myself holding space recently for a friend who was going through a confusing time in a romantic relationship which she felt might be coming to an end. I felt deep compassion for her because I’d been where she was; sitting in a gray area of uncertainty and anxiety…

What I wished for my friend (and what I wish for anyone going through a similar situation) is that she would come to know these four important truths about relationships:

Hopefully this is no surprise to you, but our bodies are full of energy. Whether you’re familiar with chi, chakras, auras, meridians, or some other “life force” energy; the common consensus is that this energy flows through all beings in order to maintain health and wellness in mental, physical, emotional, and spiritual capacities.

Just as we have our own energy, we exchange energy with one another when we engage in relationships.