Mother

Yesterday people around the globe chose one day out of the year to celebrate their mothers. I feel that every day is Mother’s Day, every day of our lives we should show our moms love, respect, and attention. When I was a teenager, and my mom and I were fighting as mothers and daughters do, my dad would always tell me the same thing. “Someday you’ll be friends with each other, even go to lunch and talk like girlfriends”. I of course rolled my eyes and probably said something typically adolescent like, “Whatever.” But, he was right. This lovely woman, 28 years my senior, has become one of my very best friends. Even though I know she still worries about me as any good mother does, she trusts that I am an adult with a good head on my shoulders and a wonderful husband to care for me. So she has no need to nag, prod, or meddle. She comforts me when I’m sad, gives me advice when I ask for it, listens intently when I’m speaking, tells me when I need to put on lipstick, shows personal interest without being nosy (sometimes even too much so and I have to say, “you’re my mom, it’s ok for you to ask that question!”), she is 100% supportive and constantly (and embarrassingly) brags about me to her coworkers and friends. It still amazes me how well and instinctively she knows me. I recently was upset about something and though I thought I was hiding it well, she instantly knew something was wrong. When I asked how she knew, she simply replied, “because I’m your mother”. Think about that. That is truly a bond unlike any other you will ever have in your life. I live right around the corner and yet still sometimes feel like I don’t see or talk to her enough, and actually miss her if a couple days go by without talking to her. When I think about people that have lost their mother or even those who, for one reason or another, aren’t close with theirs, it makes my heart hurt but at the same time makes me so grateful. Grateful that I don’t just have a mom, but a friend as well.