My mother put everything on one card - and that card was me. The story of Erich Kästner and his mother is a special one: "My mother was my best friend," he said about her. And she knew: "My son hides nothing from me." In fact, little Erich was both the elixir of life and guardian angel for his mother. Even in later years, he tried to be both for her - while gently trying to detach himself a little. His mother was his friend, travel companion, advisor in matters of love and fashion, his first critical reader of his manuscripts, and - unimaginable today - tireless caretaker of his laundry, even when Kästner had long been living in Berlin. It was an intimate relationship from both sides, not always easy, but always marked by love. The great Kästner expert Sylvia List has now compiled the most beautiful poems, stories, and letters.