I first realized that Mom was 'different' when I was about 7 years old. I was out shopping with my best friend and her mother. When we got to the first store, I said to my friend, 'I don' mind comming in with you to check for spiders.' She looked at me like I was cracy My own mother had sent me to check for spiders for as long as I could remember. I thought it was somsthing that everyone did.