I am the woman I grew to be partly in spite of my mother, and partly because of the extraordinary love of her best friends, and my own best friends' mothers, and from surrogates, many of whom were not women at all but gay men. I have loved them my entire life, even after their passing.

Summary

This quote reflects the profound impact that different individuals, not solely one's biological mother, have had on shaping the woman the speaker has become. It acknowledges the mixed influence acquired from the speaker's mother, along with the extraordinary love received from her mother's best friends, as well as the mothers of the speaker's own friends. Furthermore, it highlights the significant role that surrogates, even those outside the conventional notion of motherhood, particularly gay men, have played in the speaker's life. The quote shows a deep appreciation and enduring love for these influential figures, even beyond their physical existence.