Once when I was a little girl, I was given a barley sugar, one small sweet. As I was playing with several friends, I didn’t feel I could eat this sweet as the others didn’t have one.

My mother realised my dilemma, took the sweet from me, wrapped it in some greaseproof paper and thwacked it on the kitchen table, producing a myriad of little shards which she shared out amongst all the children present.

I asked: “Why are we doing this?” I didn’t mind sharing, that wasn’t the problem but I had realised no-one else would ever do this for me.

Then my mother said:

“..Never ever lower your standards to those of other people, just to be even with them; that makes absolutely no sense..”

“..When you share what you have, you multiply your joy by the number of people present..”

Those two pieces of advice were hugely valuable to me as I grew up and I hope they help you too.

Lots of love as ever,

Mercedes xxx