In June of 1985 my mom wrote me this.
I have thought long and hard about a lot of things. Since you have never really asked me for anything, nor reproached me for anything, your requests have a great deal of weight with me.
I’ve always loved you as your mother, but let me say, I admire your person very much. You are becoming an individual I think people will take note of, and admire. These will also be those who do not like you, or admire you; and it is inevitable, if you are to be a true person, that will be true. The more true you are to yourself, the more there will be those jealous or not understanding. It’s a choice you make.
How true are you to yourself?
Marta Pelrine-Bacon 
I’m very true to myself. Now. It’s not always easy though.
Not always easy. But if it were easy, maybe it wouldn’t be worth bothering.
What good does it do to NOT be true to oneself? Even if you live alone, all you end up doing is living with a liar. Who wants that?
And yet, we all know someone who does that, don’t we? Sad.
Well, I think some people don’t know who their true self is. For all I know, everything I do is simply a reaction to my parents and not who I ought to be. Or maybe that is who I am… this path goes in circles.