5 things my mum has taught me

I'm sure it's not escaped anyone's attention that today is Mothers' Day and it has me thinking about just how lucky I am that I have a mother who plays such a prominent role in my life. I thought that today I'd share 5 things my mum has taught me.

1: You have to make your own mistakes.

My mum has let me make mistakes for myself for as long as I can remember. This used to majorly frustrate me, like why did she let me wear shorts, tights and knee high stripey socks for an entire year of my life? Why didn't she share her insight on the long, intertwining and very complex relationships she's watched me struggle through for most of my teenage life? The answer is, she's always been there to pick up the pieces when I feel ready to admit I've made a mistake and I need help, she's just given me the chance to make the mistake in order to learn from it.

2: It will all fit together in time.

When, this year, I ended up drifting into my second gap year with absolutely no clue what to do with my life, it came up in conversation with my mum. Wasn't she worried about me? Wasn't she worried that I might never find my way and my entire life will be spent waitressing in minimum wage jobs? Her answer was simply no, that she knew enough about me to know I would never settle and I would find my own way in time. Sometimes, that's all you need; the reassurance that someone out there knows you're right on the verge of finding your path.

3: It's okay to change your mind.

My mum taught me this from a really early age, and it's one of the lessons from her that I remember vividly. She has never once complained when she's had to make excuses for me and pick me up from countless sleepovers because I thought I could handle it and hated it, nor when she had to drive for an hour to pick me up from a music festival because I felt horrendous and I cried for three hours, nor when I've changed my mind and backed out at last minute. She taught me I don't have to please other people, and sometimes you have to go with your instinct.

4: It doesn't matter what people think.

I know this is a majorly cheesy one, but to put this into context I am the younger sibling and my older brother? A trainee dentist who grabbed three A's at A Level and managed a gap year where he actually did something life affirming and productive. One of the things my mum always does is brag about me just as much as Marc, and when I told her about how down it makes me feel that sometimes people act as though I will never be as good as him, she brushed it off because she knows I will be, just in my own way. It's probably one of the most important lessons I've learned.

5: How to be a good mum.

Everyone's mother has taught them this on one level or another. Sometimes I wonder what I will be like as a mum, or whether I will be any good but the fact is; my mum showed me so much love and if I can do the same back to a child of mine? I will feel like I've done well by them.

What important lessons have you learned from your mum?