Image credit: Pixabay I have recently been introduced to the term “mother hunger.” And although the actual term is new to me, I recognize that I have been writing about this topic unknowingly throughout my columns on Together Estranged. In fact, the article I wrote in November 2025 entitled “Estrangement and Fear of the Unknown” interestingly begins with the sentence “I miss my mom.” When I re-read this article, it becomes painfully clear to me how much I miss my mother.

This month, the advice columnist answers a question about what we owe to the people we leave behind - and to ourselves - when we walk away.

Together Estranged Named Resource Organization in new book - No Contact edited by Jenny Bartoy

Healing doesn't always happen through talking, sometimes it begins through small moments of connection; spending time in nature, being creative, sharing a laugh with others, or being alongside an animal who asks nothing of us except our presence.