I think light and dark are in each of us and we can tap into either avenue at any point in time. In fact, I think the whole universe is inside us all as well, as out-there as that may sound. When I was expecting my son years ago, I prayed every day: "Please give me a happy, healthy, well-adjusted son with a strong backbone and a mind of his own." As in, make him all the things I'm not. After he was born, I was stuck in a job I couldn't stand, my marriage was rocky, my health was abysmal; things weren't optimal in any arena of my life. Mothers put way too much pressure on our children, beginning before they're born. We expect them to love us unconditionally, provide us with rich, memorable experiences and fulfill all the dreams we deferred. Not too much to ask of a small child. Instead of creating another human being and making him a repository for all my neuroses and flaws, perhaps I should have started working on myself. It took me many years to reach the point where I was able to honestly examine where I was in life. Read next feature >