1. She taught me tricks to fall asleep at night.

I was never a good sleeper as a teen, despite sleeping so much as a toddler and child. My mom taught me that when I can't sleep at night, I should lay in bed and starting at my toes and working my way all the way up my body, I should make those parts "fall asleep" by commanding it with my thoughts.

This semester I moved to a new unfamiliar school and I caught myself doing this every night in bed during the first few months while I was adjusting. It made me feel powerful, to an extent to control my own body parts, and it gave me something to keep my mind working on instead of the problems I was facing in my reality.

2. She taught me to be grateful.

When I entered my teenage years and started dealing with depression and anxiety a lot more my mom would teach me to block out the bad at night with healthier thoughts. Instead of thinking about all the things that went wrong in your day, which is really easy for my brain, personally to jump to, think about three things that happened during your day that you were grateful for.

It could even be something as small as getting out of bed and brushing your teeth. This thing she taught me has gotten me through some really dark episodes and I even catch myself just doing it if I have some spare time to myself in the elevator or the library.

3. She taught me to cook.

My mom taught me that the quickest way to anyone's heart is through their stomach and that nothing can replace the feeling of good home-cooked food surrounded by family. Whether it was pork chops, fried chicken, casserole, pasta, or pizza we were always cooking in my house as a kid. It was always a huge bonding experience for me and all of my siblings so I like to think it taught me the value of family too.

4. She taught me to be a leader, not a follower.

This is a phrase that was ingrained in my head since I was a very young child and quite frankly it probably got me out of a lot of trouble growing up. My friends loved to rebel against their parents, sneaking out, hanging out with boys, drinking and doing drugs underage, but that just wasn't me.

I was taught at a young age to go against the crowd and to do what you think is right and what you think is right only. I was taught never to follow someone else because if it ends badly not only are you in trouble but you didn't stand up for what you knew was right in the moment. I still use this today when I am in group settings and I feel myself conforming.

5. She taught me that everything is okay in moderation.

Always using chocolate as an example my mom would explain it's okay to eat chocolate every day, so long as you don't eat a pound of chocolate every day. This applies to everything in life: work, school, drinking, drugs, relationships, even money. If you just live by the rule to do everything in moderation then nothing will ever control your life and you will be able to find balance anywhere. I've passed this on to friends struggling with addiction and sobriety and they even find it to be a helpful piece of advice.