They say it takes a whole village to raise a child.

The part of you that needs to be nurtured will gravitate toward sources of nurturing, and some see that as a mother figure. It certainly doesn't mean you are childish, or that you are abandoning your mom or feel that she wasn't doing a good job. It's perfectly alright to be searching for other sources of support during the time that your mom is ill, or any time. As long as there is a positive outcome from these interactions, and you're not replaying a scenario of dysfunction, this is a good way for you to reach out and learn. We're lucky if we find lots of mothers in life, and lucky when we get to be one, as well.