The first thing our mothers teach us is how to love unconditionally. No matter what we do, they will continue to love us. They have to; it’s in the contract. You can be an ax-murderer, you can start a war, you can bankrupt a corporation. Mom doesn’t care; she’ll still love you. That doesn’t mean she won’t put her two-cents-worth in to tell us what she thinks of our behavior. But she’ll never disown us, even if we try to disown her. It’s a bond that may get strained, but it will never break. That’s a lesson that will stand us in good stead when we start creating loving relationships with other people. It keeps us from bailing out the first time they do something we don’t like.