From the outside, Marilyn may have seemed rather traditional, with her two children and decades-long marriage, but she was strong-willed, daring and marched to the beat of her own drum. She demonstrated that you don't need to compromise: you can have a loving family, challenging career, variety of hobbies and active social life at the same time. When I told her I wanted to become a teacher, she supported me. When I announced I wanted to live abroad, she encouraged me, spending lots of time with my boyfriend Ian and me in Rome and cramming four visits to Hamburg in the space of two years (probably some kind of tourism World Record for Hamburg). When I told her I wanted to quit my job, give up my apartment and go backpacking around Asia for six months, she was so excited for me. She never once made me doubt or question myself or my choices. She loved looking at mine and Ian's photos from our holiday and hearing about our stories and adventures. My mother was inspirational yet so relatable, accessible and approachable. I hope I can remember and implement all the lessons she taught me - to be true to myself, to be determined, to be brave, to be kind - as I try to navigate life without her. By Isobel, her younger daughter.