"You can waste an entire life trying to understand the dynamics of a parent-child relationship. This is often impossible. You didn’t witness your parents’ relations with their parents, their youth experiences that created the person you struggle to connect with today. If you think of one’s life as a three-act play . . . you walked in during the second act! Is it any wonder that you can’t understand the unexplainable phenomena in your relationship? Take heart Ryan, it is nothing you did wrong nor is it something your mother can truly explain. Events in the first act of her life, that you are unaware of, set the pattern of her behavior. Don’t waste your time trying to figure it out. You are a fine young man who should focus on the strength of character that has allowed you to succeed. Bask in the love and admiration that your wife clearly has for her husband. It is enough!"