In every group of friends, there's a friend who does their best to take care of everyone like it's their job. They're the ones who everyone likes to run to with problems. They're the people who always seem to be prepared for everything. They're the "mom friend." It can be a big responsibility, but the mom friend seems to always deliver.
In high school, I was one of these "mom friends." I thought that once I was one of the youngest in the school again, I would be the one who got taken care of, not the mom. But, once a mom, always a mom. I find myself still taking care of the people that are close to me, even if they're older than me. It's just this instinct inside of me that leads me to try to go out of my way to be that caretaker for people. Here are some confessions from me, a mom friend.
One of the most frustrating things in the world is not being able to help your friends when they're down. It is so hard for me to see someone who's struggling and knowing I won't be able to fix the problem. I know that not every problem will have an easy solution, and sometimes there isn't a true solution at all, but it's still frustrating. Being the mom friend, I've created this expectation that I should always be able to help, and if I can't, I get so fed up.
No matter how much older you are than me, you are still one of my "kids." When you do well, I'm going to be proud of you. I will be your personal hype man and tell everyone about how proud I am of you. If you're having a bad day, you can bet I'm going to be at your door with some of your favorite foods and open arms. I don't care if you're two feet taller than me, you're one of my "kids" and I'm here to take care of you.
Sometimes, I'm not going to be able to be there for you like you would expect me to because of stuff going on in my own life. It may sound selfish, but sometimes I have to take time to take care of myself. It's so easy to just keep going and going and never stop to worry about myself, but that's not good. Give me a break sometimes, I promise that I'll still do what I can for you, even though it might not be exactly what you want.
Sorry, but I'm not sorry for being the one to remind you to wear a coat when it's cold. Whenever you leave, I'm going to remind you to drive safely and to let me know when you get to your destination safely. If it's getting late, you know I'll be the one who tells you that you need to get your sleep. Yeah, it may be sort of like nagging, but please know that I have only your best interest at heart.
Arguments are never really fun. We're not always going to agree and maybe I'll do something you disagree with or vice versa, but at the end of the day, I will still care deeply about you and hope that you feel the same way about me. I'm not here for one of those fair weather friendships, I'm here to be with you through the good and the bad; through the times when we can't stop giggling to the times we want to pull each other's hair out. That's what I'm here for.
At the end of the day, I am a mom friend through and through. I'm going to be the one who has tissues in my purse or the one who is going to hype up your selfies on social media. You need soup when you're sick? I've got you. I'm so honored to be your "mom," and even on the hard days, please know I love you a lot.
