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Mary Lou Quinlan describes her poignant one-woman show as a love letter.

Yet it's much more than that. It's a powerful lesson on faith, letting go and not taking yourself too seriously.

Nearly 700 theatergoers laughed and cried - and celebrated the enduring bond between mothers and daughters - during two performances of "The God Box, A Daughter's Story" March 30-31 in Boll Theatre at the University of Dayton.

Many even brought their mothers.

"I could feel that powerful connection of people, particularly women, who are reaching inside their own souls to recall, to smile, to cry or to simply recognize their own circle of life," Quinlan said after the audience rose to its feet in appreciation following the final performance.

From the Edinburgh Festival Fringe to Off Broadway, Quinlan's show has touched thousands of lives over three years and raised more than $300,000 for charity, mostly for women's health and education issues. After Quinlan served as a keynote speaker at the 2014 Erma Bombeck Writers' Workshop, she offered to bring the performance to campus to benefit the workshop's endowment fund.

Through sponsorships, gifts and ticket sales, the event raised nearly $33,000 for the endowment, which is used to keep the workshop affordable for writers. It was the first fundraiser for the popular workshop, which attracts such household names as Dave Barry, Garrison Keillor, Nancy Cartwright and Phil Donahue.

On closing night, Quinlan shared the stage with Betsy Bombeck, the humorist's daughter, in a "Talk Back" conversation with WHIO-TV anchor Cheryl McHenry. Talk about a poignant, powerful moment. View the YouTube clip here.

"It feels like forever, and it feels like yesterday," said Quinlan, tears in her eyes, of her mother's death nearly nine years ago.

"Mary Lou and I have made each other cry since we first saw each other. It's just been a laughfest," Bombeck quipped as the audience erupted in laughter.

What did the two want the audience to take away?

"There's laughter everywhere," Bombeck said. "Never take yourself so seriously. …Do what you want to do every day. (My mom) used to say to me, 'Take it to the limit, so that when you end your day and put your head on the pillow, you can say you did everything you needed to do that day and you can sleep peacefully.'"

Quinlan added: "I never set out in any way to preach. Ever. My mom was not that way. Everyone in the box. (But) there is something in having a deep-seated faith and believing in whatever that is for you. And letting go. (My mom) might say, 'Give it a shot. You might have a good night's sleep.'"

The Erma Bombeck Writers' Workshop relies on the generosity of supporters who believe in its mission. To make a gift to the endowment, click here.

- Teri Rizvi

Teri Rizvi is founder and co-director of the Erma Bombeck Writers' Workshop at the University of Dayton, where she serves as executive director of strategic communications.