Lex
Throughout my life, friends have come and gone. I’ve been super close with people for years who end up stabbing me in the back, and I’ve had friends who lasted 2.3 minutes. From my hometown to the big city, and all the in-betweens—friendships tend to wither away and die when they run their course. Of course, I maintain the most important ones in my life and keep them by my side through it all. As I’ve gotten older, however, I’ve realized the smaller your circle, the better you’ll feel. Through all the ups and downs, the one who has been there through it all, has been my mom.
I know girls who keep their moms at arms distance—who call them sporadically and tell them only the important details. The girls who couldn’t wait to go away to college and move out—leaving their mothers behind. The ones who have lied and snuck around behind their mom’s backs. This has never been me.
My mom is my best friend, and I’ve never been more proud to say that.
Growing up, my mother and I had a relationship like a mother-daughter should. I went through my teenage years and I was wild and rambunctious. We butted heads and didn’t see eye-to-eye—I wanted to live my life and she wanted me to live by her rules. But after college, in the real world, I realized more than ever that my mother was the number one person who had always had my back.
My mom is brutally honest with me but in the best way possible. She won’t lie to me just to make me feel better about myself—she’ll tell me when I’m wrong. She’ll show me why I’ve acted like a complete d*ck. She’ll tell me how I should correct my wrongs. She won’t give me poor advice to sabotage me, she has my best interest at heart.
My mom is the shoulder to cry on, the arms to laugh in, the hand to help me up when I fall. I know that no matter how bad life gets, she’s just a phone call away with advice, wisdom, a joke, or even a sassy remark.
She has shown me the power of hard work, the importance of values and morals, and the strength of independence. She pushes me to reach all of my goals, my dreams—no matter how far out of reach they may be. At the end of the day, she knows that she has nurtured me for so many years, it’s time to let the baby bird fly from the nest with her help and guidance.
When I’ve had my heart broken, she’s been the one who fed me ice cream and stroked my hair. When I got a promotion, she showed up with balloons and cake. When I was on track to graduate with my master’s, she was already planning my parties. She is my biggest cheerleader. I could never put into words how much I appreciate her love.
At the end of the day, friends are great and important—but, your family can be the greatest friends in your life, too.
