I had, what I now think, a dysfunctional mother...divorced from my dad when I must have been quite young as I have no memory of him till I met him when I was 25 or so. She had very few friends so my significant females were my never married aunt & her niece, both teachers, who lived across the street & endured hours of Monoply & taught me Canasta & let me grade 3rd graders papers & my mom's brother's wife who remained one of my treasured friends for many, many years until she passed.