You all know the cliche teenage pregnancy story already so I will make this first part short. A shy girl meets a popular boy, he tells her he loves her and she believes him. He is older and more experienced, she feels that to keep him she has to make him happy. She pushes her values and everything she stands for aside to please a boy who never loved her in the first place. Girl finds out she is pregnant, she has to tell her parents, and she knows they wont approve. She considers adoption, and for a brief second abortion, she goes back to the idea of adoption. For she was adopted herself, into a wonderful and loving family. She wants her baby to have that same chance. She goes to the doctor and sees her first ultrasound picture and hears that heartbeat. Her mind changes, she cannot give up this child, it is a part of her. So she decides to keep the baby, she stays strong and defies stereotypes by staying in school and graduating on time with her class. She gives birth to a baby girl, she has the help of her parents along the way, lord knows she could not have done it without their support. She goes to college, makes a life for herself and her daughter. She is successful and she raises her little girl to be the same strong and independent woman that she is.

Before I go on, let it be said that I would not change this for the world and neither would she. Though I turned her life upside down and derailed some of her plans, she reminds me every day of how much of a blessing I was in her life. A lot of people see being a young mom as a negative, but hey, that's just more years we get to spend together. It has always been me and her against the world. She is my best friend, I tell her everything. She knew all the drama that was happening in high school, and many of my friends went to her for advice as well. She was always the cool mom, my friends and I knew that we could always call her if we needed her to pick us up or get us out of a sticky situation. I believe this is due to the fact that she was only a teenager a few years earlier. She had just gone through the same things we were experiencing now. I could not imagine not having her to come home and cry to or laugh with. She taught me so much about life and about love. She taught me to stand up for myself. She never let me forget how beautiful I am. She is my mom, so of course she has to say that, but it helped instill in me confidence. I did my fair share of teaching her as well. Being she was busy taking care of me, she never had much time to take care of herself. She did not know how to do her hair and makeup or take a proper selfie. Enter me, curling iron and front facing camera in hand. I taught her how to do a cartwheel, and how not to dance like a white girl (there were many dance parties in our PJ's twirling around the living room).

There were hard parts of growing up with a young mom as well. The statistics were pounded into my head, such and such percent of girls with teen moms end up getting pregnant as teens themselves. I brushed that stereotype off and let it help me set goals. My mom always reminded me that she did not condone getting pregnant as a teen, but she still did not regret her decision to keep me. Though she would not change anything, it was hard raising a baby when she was still a baby herself. There were times when we did not have a lot of money, but she never, in my entire life, let me go a day without something that I needed, and I rarely went without things I wanted also. I always came first in her life. She supported every dream I had, she was my biggest fan and sat front row at every dance recital, cheer competition, and choir concert. She also supported every bad decision I made because she knew the importance of making mistakes at my age. But she was always there to clean up the mess with a hug, a caramel frappe, and some Taylor Swift.

The best part about growing up with a young mom, was how close we are. There were many nights when we had sleepovers in her bed, staying up until all hours of the night watching Gossip Girl and snacking on Oreo's. We go shopping together and raid each others closets.She knows everything going on in my life, and I hers. We don't keep secrets, and she always can tell when something is wrong (even from 250 miles away). Moving away from her was probably the hardest thing I have ever done, we text all day long and talk on the phone at least twice a day. I am so thankful for our relationship, her support, and her role in my life as not only my mother but my best friend. She has worked her butt off to give me the life she thinks I deserve and I will forever be grateful for that.

So, Mom, I know you are reading this, and probably bawling like a baby. I just wanted to say thank you for choosing to raise me yourself, for this life you have given me, and for being the most amazing role model I could ask for. You did what people said you couldn't, raising me and still having a life yourself, and I am so proud of you.

Thanks for being the Lorelei to my Rory, and as always, I love you most.