I often tell people that the world's most complex human relationship is between a mother and a daughter. I'm no mother, nor a daughter (see my profile picture). So how is it that I make such a conclusion?

Well, for one, stories women tell about their relationship with their mothers and, two, watching closely the mothers/daughters - who are near and dear to me; Or not but still share their stories - with their daughters/mothers.

The introduction serves a purpose here. 'My Mother's Story' captures a slice of that relationship quite well. I mean the piece did not set out to explore the nature of mother/daughter relationships in general; it simply wanted to accumulate stories about mothers as related by their daughters. In doing so, 'My Mother's Story' became a study in each of the participating women's relationship with her mother. Why did one woman hate her mother only to realize years later that she needed time to understand her better? How do you write about your mother in a thousand words? What do you leave out? These are all part of a discussion you hear women in this piece have. Is it possible that they've learned a lot about themselves during the project by 'living' their mother's lives? Quite possible. When you put pen to paper and reflect, the mirror becomes full-length and the memory streams without filtering itself. Details are crystal clear, only the meaning has changed from when first experienced by a daughter. A mother likely can see herself in her daughter, but a daughter has to wait. You too will likely find yourself in some of these stories in this piece.

A good choice to air for mother's day, but a great piece to listen to any time of the year, or any time in your life.