Today I understand that maturity and taking responsibility for myself begin early in childhood. Each thing I learned to do for myself as a child taught me that I could take care of myself. My dependence on my mother physically had the power both to sustain my life and to crush my spirit. The illusion of childhood was that, because I depended on
someone for my physical needs, I needed that person emotionally as well. This is not true. My emotional needs can and should be met from a variety of sources. This is how I learn that I can live, survive and be happy in the world. Emotional independence from my mother is a deep need that enables me to lead a full emotional life of my own.

I can survive on my own.

Grown up, and that is a terribly hard thing to do. It is much easier to skip it and go from one childhood to another.
F. Scott Fitzgerald