I am very protective of everyone I care about, especially my friends. Now, most of the time, everyone in my friend group thinks and acts very rationally in order to keep themselves safe, but that is not always the case. We haven't had any particularly awful things happen, thank God. I like to believe that the reason for this is simply due to how great we are at looking out for one another.

Sometimes, in order to do this, we really WILL be the "Mom Friend" to one another, but not necessarily in a fun way. Sometimes, people have to be stern with their friends and tell them why they absolutely should not do something. Sometimes we need to helicopter those close to us when they go out with a new group or to a new place.

I use "we" because I'm not the only one in my group like this, and because I certainly hope that there are people like this outside of my immediate circle as well.

None of this is because we don't want our friends to have fun, meet new people, etc. Rather, it's because sometimes we have suspicions or fears. Most of the time, other people are better at clocking in on bad people or places than you may be, even if you have great judgment. It's easy for it to become clouded in a haze of love, desire for adventure, etc.

I'm not just talking about protecting friends from f*ckboys, either (although that is a part of it)! For example, make sure your friends party responsibly and don't be afraid to drag them away from the party entirely if they're feeling unsafe. Don't let your friends out of your sight at concerts, sporting events, plays, etc. Keep checking in on your friends as well, even if you give off the impression of hovering.

Always remember safety in numbers!