Originally published: 1997.

Includes bibliographical references (p. 143-150).

Being born is just the beginning: becoming human is a long and sometimes difficult quest that takes the rest of our lives. How we live, think, and react to experiences, and who we wish to be, all contribute to our humanness, or lack of it.

With great insight and empathy, Dr. Mary E. Mercer reflects on the happiness and difficulties we encounter at each stage of life, pointing out that all growth requires separation from previous attachments and loves. As we move from infancy to old age, the pain of each separation lifts us to a higher level of awareness of ourselves. Augmented by eloquent quotations from literary classics, Mercer reveals the universal self-creative pattern that lies beneath the surface of individual life.