My mother “Four years ago, I hit a point in my life. I realised that I had built a wall around myself, and I had lost my children. I spent over 20 years raising three boys who I had pushed out. My first-born son and I had little-to-no contact, and I learned that he was afraid of me. This broke my heart. I know there aren’t any words that can take back the past, so I’m working on our future. I acknowledge my shortcomings as a mother, but I’m here now.”