Mothers of children aged 3 to 16 years old reported
that their work at self-definition was a continual process
(Hartrick, 1997). Their process of self-definition involved
a nonreflective doing (taking on roles and acting out a life
modeled by parents and others), living in the shadows (a
transitional period as their secure foundation crumbled),
and reclaiming and rediscovering self. Reclaiming self led
to a definition of their lives from a different perspective by
reconnecting with, learning to listen to, trust, and nurture,
the self.