Anyone who knows me will know it's Mothers day pretty much every day for me. Although I do love actual Mothers day, because its more socially acceptable to talk about her as much as I want & spend every minute of the day with her. She really is the apple of my eye & my best friend. I even live opposite her and see her every day. She has taught me so much & I have so much to thank her for, so I thought what better day to share some of these with you...
"Respect your elders"
My mum has always taught me to respect & look after the elderly. Now this is something I probably have taken to an extreme over the years, I'm bordering on obsessed with old people. I make old people friends wherever I go, and I will use any excuse to talk to them. At work, we have this one man who goes to the Greggs opposite us nearly every day. I used to watch him from the shop window, with his medals on his blazers, the tie he wore everyday and his little saggy cheeks. Until one day I saw him struggling to get out of his scooter on a hot super hot day. I went over and helped him out and gave him a glass of squash and introduced myself... we have been friends ever since. I look forward to seeing him and help him if he needs me, one time he toppled over and I caught him. A little bit of his dribble went on my top, but that's ok. We're friends and I love to think the smile I see on his face when I walk over to him stays with him for the rest of his day. My mum also made a massive difference to my relationship with my Grandparents. When I was a bit of stroppy teenager and just wanted to watch SMTV live or hang out with my friends, she sat me down and told me how important it is for me to visit my Grandparents regularly. I had never really given it much thought until then, I assumed they were living the dream being retired, but she told me how much they love seeing me and that some old people don't have people that visit. Since then I always made an effort and visited them at least once a week. I loved seeing them to. My visits and chats with them helped me get to know them as adults, and in turn I learnt so much from them. I used to sit with my Granddad and talk about history and the Romans, my nan taught me to knit and cook and the other I spent hours with talking about philosophical things and she told me so much about her life that I never knew before. I will always be grateful to my Mum (& Dad) for stressing how important these relationships are, because they don't last forever. Two of my grandparents have passed away now and I treasure the little visits and moments alone I had with them everyday. I was with one of my Grandmas when she passed away, which was obviously an awful time, but I took such comfort in my great relationship and friendship with her. I knew I did everything I could have done for her whilst she was here and we loved each other deeply. I will always thank my Mum for stressing how important this is.
My tanned skin
Its my favourite thing about myself, on the outside. I love the Sun and I love being brown. I know its not that good for you (although I don't go on sunbeds) but I feel so much better when I have a tan. Admittedly, I still stay quite tanned in the Winter. In the words of Will.I.am "I got it from my Muma". My dad is quite fair, so I definitely get my olive skin from my Mum and with it being my favourite feature, I have her and her genes to thank for it. Something she didn't intend, but that I am eternally grateful for.
Stick to your morals
I have been brought up with super strong morals and I know am I am good person because of the things she has taught me. When I was in year 8 & 9 at school, a lot of the girls in my year would to go Superdrug or Boots and steal pots of Dream Matte Mousse or that Rimmel stay matte powder, that I swear has been around since the Victorian times. These said girls were cool girls and obviously I would have loved a bit of "free" make up, but her face was always in my mind. If I even thought about joining in, I would think about how disappointed she would be in me and I'd get that sick feeling right at the bottom of my stomach. I could never let her down and I will always work for what I have.
Saving Money
I bloody love online shopping, holidays and going out. When pay day strikes or I get paid for a job I've been working on there is nothing more tempting than knowing Asos is only a couple of clicks away. My mum has always taught me how important it is to save money, probably on the verge or scaring me into thinking I'd one day end up homeless if I didn't. For this I am ever grateful. I am shit at so many things in life but I can proudly say I'm a bloody good saver. I wont go into details because money is such a tricky subject, but I have stored myself away a nice little nest egg when I can eventually buy a house, and I will continue to save to make it how I want it and have the nice things I would like to have in the future. I never get out loans or buy anything on finance either (obviously were not counting a mortgage here)... she always told me to never buy something I cant afford at the time, instead to save for the things I want. Which I do. Strictly. She has drilled this into me so hard, that I know I will always be ok because of it.
Be kind to animals
This my favourite thing she has taught me in life. Be kind to everything. I have probably taken this a little too literally. If I walk to work when its been raining, I have to pick up all the stranded earth worms on the path and transfer them to safety. I would never kill a spider, I don't eat meat and I treat every creature I meet with respect. She has taught me that everything is a soul, from an elephant, to a person, to an ant. It's a little being with it's own little ways and little life. Anything I can do to make this beings life easier I will do it. My mum fosters animals for the RSPCA and we also rescue battery hens. So I have grown up syringe feeding rabbits, nursing bald chickens back to health and wiping animals bums, eyes and other orifices for them when they need my help. Whatever I do in life, it's always the thing I will be most proud of. Despite having my work published in Vogue last year (which in was super proud of) my proudest moment was creature related. It was the day we had left the EU I remember and I was sitting in the garden having a cup of tea and wondering what it was all going to mean. I saw a tired bee on the pavement, I watched him for a while and he was struggling. So I collected him and took him inside. I made him a glucose solution of sugar and water and fed it to him on a teaspoon. He seemed livelier so I put him back outside. I watched him again to make sure he was ok, but it started to rain and he still wasn't strong enough to take off. It was big blobby rain and as one drop hit him he was knocked onto his back. I ran outside like the house was on fire with bare feet, looking back in my head it was like a slow mo in a film. I plucked him from the wet floor and made him a bed in one of out rabbit hutches, no rabbits were in there obviously. I fed him again in the evening and left him overnight. In the morning I went and got him out, fed him again and put him in the sun. I had researched it you see, and apparently the sun gives them energy. After maybe an hour or so he bloody well flew off. I think I let out a little scream and I waved him on his way. I was so proud. I had saved a little life. I named him Barrington and often wonder how he is now. My boyfriend said he must be dead now, but I pretend in my head that he's living it up somewhere hot with a honey cocktail in hand. Barrington ultimately has my mum to thank. My earliest memories are animal related, and growing up I have seen her compassion to animals day in day out. She has taught me and shown me how to be kind. Extra kind.
So thank you mum.
