As the saying goes, life doesn’t come with a manual, it comes with a mother. The relationship you have with your mother will define all the days of your life. Irish women share their mother’s wisdom with Rosaleen McMeel in this new series. We’re also asking you, our reader, what life lessons has your mother taught you? 

To share #WhatMyMotherTaughtMe, email us on digital@thegloss.ie or share a picture or video on Instagram, make sure to tag and follow us @theglossmag and @butlerschocolate so we can see your entries. We will share some of our favourite stories on thegloss.ie over the coming weeks…

VALENE KANE, Actress

My mother is the kindest person I’ve ever met. She could never say no, she loved us too much. It led to endless clashes with my father. ‘But mum said I could’. When she told me that she’d give me her life’s blood if she could, she meant it. Quite an intense thing for a child to hear. But what that endless capacity for love gave me was an ability to shape my own boundaries. To protect myself. To be able to say no. A firm no. No to men. No to jobs. No to anything that didn’t feel right. @valenekane

DANIELLA MOYLES, Co-founder of The STLL

My mam taught me strength, grace and every ounce of emotional intelligence I embody to this day. But most importantly she taught me to always moisturise my elbows. It’s perhaps the only beauty tip she’s ever given me and I have no idea why it’s so important to her, but as a result it’s important to me. I will have ageless elbows until the end of my days. @daniellamoyles

NATALIE B COLEMAN, Fashion Designer

My mother taught me an appreciation for nature and everyday wonder. We grew up in the countryside, had our own vegetables, made yogurt from goat’s milk, churned butter over the road at Granny’s, so the love of good food and cooking with love has stayed with me. My mum Bridie was really into yoga and mindfulness before it became fashionable and my brothers and I used to go to breathing classes. She would get us out of bed on a new moon to run in the grass barefoot, drink smoothies, do headstands … all of those fun, magical things. She was obsessed with clothes and helped me recognise the beauty of materials. @nataliebcoleman

PEIGÍN CROWLEY, Spa Consultant and Founder of Ground

My mother and I are so different, but we are both creatives and that bonds us deeply. She paints fine art and I design spas, treatments and products. We cheer one another on daily. I now realise how much of her lives in me. She’s always encouraged a boldness to be myself. When I was in trouble in school for being giddy in class, I would come home and tell her about it. We’d roll around laughing until my dad would come home. Then we’d both pretend to be serious and I would repent. @peigincrowley

Read #WhatMyMotherTaughtMe: Part One

Read #WhatMyMotherTaughtMe: Part Two

Read #WhatMyMotherTaughtMe: Part Three

Read #WhatMyMotherTaughtMe: Part Four