Ever since I was born, I was taught that family comes first. A quote by Michael J. Fox demonstrates my outlook on family perfectly: “Family is not an important thing. It’s everything.” I believe in family. Whatever goals I am trying to accomplish at a point in time, my family is behind me to give me positive reinforcements and push me toward success. However, “family” tends to be very vague – so more specifically – I believe in my mother. The journey hasn’t always been easy and my mother has helped me feel more secure throughout my life by allowing me to vent to her and ask for advice when needed.
Before I came to college, I had difficulties keeping close friends. Though I had many friends in school and was very outgoing, I never maintained a best friend. When it came to seeing any of my friends outside of school, it never happened unless I reached out to them first. Whether it had been the child or parents’ decision, I was never invited anywhere by my friends; there was no reciprocation. I felt very unwanted and used in the fact that no one considered me as an option until I asked first. I would talk to my mom about this constantly and she comforted me through this stage of my life where I wasn't very confident and felt unwanted.
Many weekends I would sit downstairs in the morning with my mom, eating breakfast and talking about things that were happening at school; she was my best friend. She knew everyone I talked about on a first name basis and indirectly knew their personalities by stories I told about them. I didn’t need anybody else. I eventually stopped asking people to hang out; they didn’t care enough to ask me back anyway. To this day, I’ve never had a true best friend that I’ve been able to keep close to me, except for my mom. When I began high school and started playing for my school’s volleyball team, these problems seemed less severe. I became more comfortable with myself and the idea of having a plethora of friends instead of a single best friend.
Of course, other problems arose within time. From girl drama, to harsh teachers, to boy problems, I had the ultimate high school experience. No matter what the issue may have been, she was there to calm me down and talk me through it. My mom always told me, “You do your own thing. If someone wants to be a part of it, then fine.” She helped me realize I can be independent and I don’t have to rely on other people to make me happy. With the amount of “best friends” I had through school, I accumulated a form of trust issues. However, I never diverted from the idea that my future and my family always came first. When I decided to move to Idaho for college, nothing changed. I still call my mom at least once a day to update her on what’s going on financially, what drama is happening in my sorority, and what steps I should take to solve problems within my classes.
Even though I had some adjustment problems being so far from home, such as temptations from the Greek and college lifestyle, money limits through my low paying job, and stress from classes, I still managed to pull through with a 4.0 and a memorable first semester of college. Even though I’m no longer in my mom’s presence everyday, it doesn’t mean I can’t continue the bond we have created. She has proven to me that family will always provide comfort when needed. She has helped me establish a mindset that was not only proven successful in high school, but has also allowed me to claim independence in college. Because of her, I have grown mentally stronger as a person. I would never exchange our close bond for a different best friend in my life.
