As children, we are under the illusion that our parents aren’t real people. Their names are Mom and Dad and their lives started when ours did. And that was okay because we were young and did not care to look beyond who our parents are and who they were before us. What I have enjoyed as entering my young adult life is learning about our parents as friends and realizing that they are amazing individuals who have struggled, succeeded, and who have some of the craziest stories.

This transition was natural. Yes, my parents can still strike fear in me and get me all nervous when I see multiple missed calls, but now I am able to see a side of them that I did not bother to try to see what I was younger. I can sit down with them and ask about their lives, struggles, and beliefs. I had spent the last 20 years talking about myself and answering questions, but now I love hearing about their thoughts and stories from when they were younger and wilder.

It's tough to understand that we are not the center of the universe and that our parents are real people. I can sit with either of them and can go from sports, to relationships, to making fun of people we mutually don’t like, and can share opinions and actually talk about why we believe certain things. And the conversations that flow on for hours with ease are my favorite ones.

Parents are people that are more than just the givers of life and caretakers, they are our closest friends. And talking about real stuff, no matter how big or how small, can bring the relationship closer and help strengthen the bond that is already there. Now, you don’t have to go off and become best friends or anything with your parents, but taking the time to have conversations that go beyond the “How is your day?” can go a long way and can affect both sides in such a positive way.