Chances are that if I asked you to tell me who the "mom" or "dad" of your friend group was, you would know right off the top of your head. Almost every group has a maternal figure that consistently stays more sober than everyone else, is the go to person when someone goes through a bad breakup, and is always offering advice.
I never hated this "job" that over the years was bestowed upon me. I actually loved it. I don't drink past my limits because I HATE stomach aches, I love being sought out to help when someone is hurt and helping them to feel better, and I always take my own car to parties because I like the freedom of leaving whenever I want.
This role was basically made for me. Here are all the reasons being the mom of your group rocks.
You're loved.
Your friends love you, and not just in the usual way all your friends love each other, but they love you in an "I need you around" way. It's obvious that everyone cares about you and this speaks volumes about the kind of friend you are.
Helping your friends makes you feel good.
More important than the feeling of being the first person your friends call when they're going through a crisis, is the feeling of actually helping them through it. It feels great to offer advice that a friend references weeks or months later when telling you how much what you said helped them through a tough time in their life.
It keeps you responsible.
Knowing that your friends are counting on you to make sure they don't do anything stupid or make it home safely forces you to make sure you're being responsible for yourself. To some this may seem annoying or unfair but I personally love waking up in my bed the next morning and knowing everything that happened the night before.
You're appreciated.
You constantly hear "Thank you", "You're a lifesaver." and my personal favorite, "What would I do without you?". These speak for themselves and make everything you do for them worth it.
No one thinks you're annoying when you ask for a favor.
Okay I know what you're thinking. "But don't you do it out of the kindness of your heart?" and yes. I do. BUT it's always nice to know that when you need something your friends are always willing to help you out because of everything you do for them.
You remember all the crazy things everyone did... even if no one else does.
Being the only sober one (or the only one who can hold their liquor) can get old quick when none of your friends can, but you get to watch all the ridiculous things they probably won't remember the next day, and sometimes it makes up for it.
You get to watch your friends grow up.
Granted, you might be the same age as many of your friends or even younger at times, but watching your bffs slowly make better decisions and grow into who they're supposed to be is an awesome feeling.
