I don’t remember a time when my mum didn’t confide in me. I was her emotional support system, her confidant, her closest friend. She was a single parent and I became her sounding board. She shared her problems, fears and daily struggles – not the watered-down version most kids get, but the whole, raw, unfiltered story. As I grew older, I slowly became aware that this wasn’t how most mother-daughter relationships worked. But for us, it was just normal.“Thank you for listening to me rabbit on,” she’d say, perched on my bed, tucking me in. “You’re so grown up for your age.” And I was. Had to be, really. When you’re someone’s entire world, you learn quickly how to soak up their distress like a sponge.We all want to show up for our friends, but how do we make sure we aren't abandoning ourselves in the process?Without either of us realising it, I absorbed a particular understanding of love. To me, caring for someone meant being the calm