Mother's Day Spl: 'She gave me my space'

There's something special about a mother-daughter relationship. We asked five young women about what lessons they learnt from their moms. This is what each had to say:

Shazahn Padamsee, Actress

Life's lessons my mother has taught me:

Mom (Sharon Prabhakar) has always inspired me to be career-oriented and focussed. She has been a strong woman who came from a small town and became who she is. Mom has always taught me not to compromise and give whatever I take up my best shot.

The biggest sacrifice my mother made for me:

Mom has stood by me all the time and gave me my space. There was a phase when I was not sure of what I should be doing. I wanted to be a writer, then wanted to get into events management but things weren't shaping up. She let me do my thing and supported me through all my ups and downs.

Pia Trivedi, Model

Life's lessons my mother has taught me:

Had it not been for my mother I'd have been bad with finances. She was the one who taught me to manage my money the way I do. Mom also taught me to be self dependent and well-organised. But if there was one thing that I really learnt from her was to respect everyone's individuality.

The biggest sacrifice my mother made for me:

She sacrificed her entire life! Mother has always been at home when she could have pursued her career. She dedicated her life to her family and children. I think that is saying something.

VJ Reha, MTV VJ

Life's lessons my mother has taught me:

The biggest lesson my mother (Sandhya Chakraborty) has taught me is to be transparent with the people I care for. She always says that there have to be six people in one's life who you should not lie to. These are the people who will be pillars of support in your life. I have tried to live by this learning and have given the people I love and care for my all.

The biggest sacrifice my mother made for me:

Since I am just 17, my mother has come down to stay with me in Mumbai -- leaving dad and my brother by themselves! She has quit her job just so she can be with me, take care of me, ensure I am eating right, sleeping and going to work on time.

Anupama Dayal, Fashion Designer

Life's lessons my mother has taught me:

The greatest gift one can receive is a mother's unconditional love. I have tried to pass it on by being a good mother not just to my children but also to the extended circle of the kids around me. The other thing that my mum taught me was that success can be measured purely by the number of people whose livelihood you can change in some way. My mother, Manjula Gupta, is a textile designer and lives in Kolkata

The biggest sacrifice my mother made for me:

I remember as a child, when I would fall ill, she would always wish that the illness come to her and that I get well soon.

Rimi Nayak, Fashion Designer

Life's lessons my mother has taught me:

The list would be too vast and the space here too short for me to try and put down all the things I've learnt from her. To summarise, the most important lessons that she has passed on to me are respect for others, value of hard work, importance of honestly and persistence.

The biggest sacrifice my mother made for me:

Being a housewife, she has sacrificed her dreams and aspirations of a being a successful and independent woman for bringing up my brother and me. It is this unwavering care and support through our formative years that has made us who we are today. Interestingly, my mother also had a passion for crafting out wonderful creations from textiles, a hobby that she still pursues to this day. Subconsciously, this might have fuelled my desire to become a fashion designer one day.