With college officially back in full swing and four weeks of classes under our belts, the feeling of missing home will start setting in sooner or later. With boy problems to talk about, complaints about professors and neighborhood gossip to catch up on, I find myself calling my mom multiple times a week. While Mother’s Day is still a long way away, I found that it doesn’t need to be a special day to celebrate your mom. She’s taught you a lot, and there shouldn’t need to be a reason to appreciate her. Without further ado, here are just some of the things I'm grateful my mom has taught me.

1. When things get rough or you just need a break, come home. The door is always open, and you’re never too old to take a break from the stressors of life with mom and dad.

2. You have to learn to love yourself before you can love another person. Healthy relationships occur when two people are comfortable with themselves, in addition to each other.

3. Your brothers and sisters may fight with you now, but they’ll be your best friends when you grow up.

4. Choose what you center your energy on. If you’re always concentrating on negative things, your mood will reflect that. Focus on the good things, and you’ll see the world in a more positive light.

5. Always wash the makeup off of your face at the end of the day. Sleeping with makeup on will clog your pores and cause wrinkles to appear sooner in life, and no one wants that.

6. Success is important, but you need sleep to succeed. Don’t overwork yourself; go to bed.

7. Think before you buy something. Or better yet, wait for the sale.

8. Boys will come and go, but the women in your life will always be there for you.

9. Always say, “I love you” to anyone you care about at the end of any phone call or goodbye. You never know what might happen or if you’ll see them again.

10. Call your mom. She misses you more than you think!