Mother love not required

... while I long for the idea of a mother -- a mentor, a role model, a learned woman who serves as my career and life guide, a best friend, a blanket that offers comfort -- my mother was none of these things, and I have developed my own familial construct: a life inhabited by strong, supportive, loving people who couldn't imagine their lives without me in it (and vice versa).

Family would seem to have something to do with real bonding rather than mere genetics. Take this story about two mothers who had their babies swapped at birth, but are unwilling to switch back ten months later upon discovering the mistake.