I don't think severing ties does much, if anything, to resolve outstanding issues. It simply makes things more bearable. I really believe what an old counselor told me that I'd either need to confront it or learn to let it go. I think, clearly, with my mother, there will never be a confrontation of any honesty - I've just got to figure out how to process it, then let it go. (Heh, yeah, when I can do that, I'll write a book and we'll drink fruity drinks on the beach from there on out.)