Standing on the shoulders of giants

A while ago now I read this blog: Standing on the shoulders of giants by Samyogita (@Hardigirl on twitter). As it is intended to be a collaborative blog, I've been trying to think about what I could contribute. You see, I haven't really done the things I thought I'd do when I was younger. I have a fairly ordinary job, I haven't travelled very much, I didn't go to university, become an astronaut/teacher/policewoman, get married, buy a house...the list of things I was inspired to do by teachers, authors, film-makers, but didn't get around to doing, is endless. The one thing on my list I have done is become a mum.

If I am a good parent, it's because of my own Mum. She gave (and still gives) the kind of hugs that make the world go away and everything feel safe. Any faults she may have had (and we all have them) were insignificant because she was always there and on my side when I really needed her. She taught me that the best thing you can do for your kids (apart from let them know that they are loved) is give them a safe space in which to make mistakes & get hurt (even if she did her best to prevent us doing so) while setting boundaries, teaching personal responsibility and showing that everyone makes mistakes but it doesn't matter as long as you learn something from them.

So the giant on whose shoulders I'm standing, the person who most helped to shape who I am today, is not famous. She has not won any awards, had books or articles written about her, she's not "powerful" in any sense of the word but she is very important to me.