The older you get, the more you realize how much you need your family, at least that’s what I’ve noticed. It’s definitely safe to say that I text my mom ten times more now in college than back when I was at home in high school. For me, I never expected that when I went away, she would be the person I tell everything to, and yes I do mean everything.
Despite how childish this may be, I would be texting my mom everyday at college and call home two to three times a week to talk to my parents. Do I take shame in that? Absolutely not. Is my independence being diminished because of that? Not even the slightest. Whenever I have a moment of success or sadness, my mom is the first person I text. Or whenever I’m feeling anxious about something or annoyed by someone, she’s the first person to receive my rants. And of course I tell my my other family members and my close friends about these situations too, but to me, there’s nothing like telling my mom first.
By being away from home, I realized how much easier it is for me to listen to her advice. Whenever she gave me advice in high school, it felt overwhelming, but in college, it was highly welcomed. I found myself taking her advice more often in college because the distance made it all feel so much less forced, and she wasn’t telling me all this information while I was doing my homework in the same room. So finally, I stopped telling her to back off and started asking for her advice everyday.
Everyone is so surprised by how much stuff I tell my mom, as if it’s the most astonishing thing they’ve ever heard, yet I find it the most normal. If I ever need advice on guys or need to whine about how a jerk hurt me, she’ll be the first and probably only one to get the WHOLE spiel (no offense dad). Whenever I need a cure to my wine or champagne hangovers, she’s the one who’d see me on FaceTime with my hand on my head complaining of a headache. Or if I end up drunk texting, I would just type “mommmmm” to her and she would instantly know and laugh. If my mom asked me what I was doing on a Saturday night, I would legitimately respond and say “going to to a party.”
I know, it’s crazy. Who actually tells their mom when they’re going out partying, right? But honestly, what’s the point in lying about it? She’s not going to tell me not to go out or “ground” me for it when I get home from college. And I think that’s why I can say everything to her. She’s letting me experience and experiment whatever there may be in college, and she’s understanding that I may have a different lifestyle when I’m at school. And even though she may not be a fan of it, she still wants to be a part of it. Also, the fact that she has my location on the Find My Friends app is for sure a plus for her.
I’ve never been so grateful to have this kind of closeness with my mother. Even though you may be sixty-nine going on seventy next year, sometimes I talk to you as if you’re my twenty-five year old sister, yet also still the kind, overprotective, and worried mother that I disagree and fight with. I truly hope that when I become a parent, I can be half the mother that you are and that my child can come to me just as much as I do to you and also dad. I’m sorry that you and dad can’t retire just yet because your two kids decided to go to private schools for their bachelor’s, but we’ll make it up to someday and just know how grateful we are to you both.
