Not everyone is as lucky as I am to experience this, but if you are, you know how amazing it is to have your mom double as your best friend. Sure, you have friends you seem to be with all of the time and share irreplaceable memories with, but who’s there when those friends aren’t?

The answer is easy, it’s Mom.

You think you can share just about anything with your friends, but what about when you feel as though an experience is a little too TMI or embarrassing for the likes of your friend’s ears? Or perhaps you have a thought you need to share that simply no one else will understand? Or what if what’s on your mind is about your friends – you can’t talk about them to them, can you?

Mom is the be all and end all when it comes to sharing information, whether it’s exciting, boring, or embarrassing – she is always the first to know.

When you are young, your mom is your role model, protector, the one who spoils you when Dad isn’t paying attention, and she's the one you share everything with.

As you grow older you go through the stage where you feel as though Mom needs to give you some space. You get a phone of your own, and suddenly you become more private. But still, when it comes to supporting and protecting you, who’s first in line? Mom is.

Now off at college, it became apparent very quickly that you may be older now, but wow do you need her still, and it seems like now more than ever.

Having my mom as my best friend my whole life and spending so much time together set me up for some big changes when it came to moving away for school. I can still remember so vividly the day you and Dad dropped me off.

Interactions with you went from yelling for your attention from the other room to just texting you on a daily basis. It seems I can’t make a simple grilled chicken dinner for myself without texting you immediately showing you my great accomplishment.

Look Mom, I’m adulting!

I’m truly scared to be an adult because that means I’ll be on my own, and that means less time spent with you. Everything is just moving too fast and I often wonder, where on earth did the time go?

Although texting and phone calls are quick and easy, I sure do miss being home with you and being able to laugh and talk with you in person about whatever it is I am texting you about.

Thank you so much for being by my side through absolutely every step of my life thus far, telling me right from wrong, loving me unconditionally, and being willing to drop anything you’re doing in a second if I need you.

Without you as my best friend, there would be a lot of things I would be missing out on. Just to name a few:

I would not know what it is like to have someone in the crowd at every single sporting game, dance recital and competition, school event, and doctor’s appointment – supporting me every second as my life unfolds.

I would not know what it is like to go to sleep at night while I am home without hearing two kiss noises while you walk past my slightly open door, only for me to respond with my own two kisses in return.

I would not know what it is like to model myself after such a strong, kind, beautiful inside and out, confident woman, in every facet of my life.

I would not know what it is like to have such a wholesome, loving family. You and Dad have shaped us into an amazing family. One so loving and fulfilling, I wish everyone could experience being a part of it.

I would not know what it is like to cuddle up with you, my best friend, and watch hours of pointless TV shows or just chat about life, even at 20-years-old and annoy you into scratching my back the whole time.

Words cannot even begin to scratch the surface on how so lucky I am to call the world’s best built-in best friend, “Mom.”

Thank you so much for being you. I love you forever and always Mom. Can’t wait to be home with you in a few short weeks, but until then, I hope you enjoy the dog videos I tag you in on Facebook and the multitude of texts you receive from me on a weekly basis.