By the time this article has been published, I will have been away from home for 26 days.
Aside from visiting my dad every other year in the summer, I have never been away from my mom for that long.
My mom has been the one by my side from day one. She's never left my side and I know this is because to her, I am her main priority. When I see characters on television stating that they would die for their children, I nod my head in agreement because I know my mom is one of those people. I can say that without a hint of hesitation because she has lived her entire life proving that to me.
Since this is the longest amount of time I have been away from my mom, I have been thinking of the things I miss doing with her.
1. Coming home for a hug after a long day.
Back home, I would go to school all day and then go to work for five-nine hours. On the weekends I was usually at work from early morning until dinner time. On particularly long days, the only thing I was looking forward to when coming home was a hug from my mom, even though I'm taller and have to bend down to her level to make it more comfortable.
2. Watching our favorite movies together.
I was raised on movies like "Jaws" and anything by Stephen King. When we lived in Idaho, we only had two television channels, which were KPBS and the news. So, my mom taught me her fondness for films such as "The Craft" and "Thelma & Louise." To this day, there are shows my friends watched growing up that I never laid eyes on, and I am okay with that because this became one of me and my mom's favorite past times.
3. Eating ridiculous amounts of junk food.
Cue scenes from "Gilmore girls." My mom and I have always eaten more junk food than we should, much to my grandma's disapproval. We always tried to play it off as a time of the month thing but in reality, chocolate and chips are our downfalls, always.
4. Yelling at each other over the most inane things.
We have a habit of getting into petty arguments over who said what and what happened in a conversation that took place years ago. Anyone who knows us is aware that in our relationship, my mom is the one who remembers dates things occur on, while I remember the exact (at least almost exact) words/actions people used in a conversation.
5. Being able to call her at a moments notice and ask a question.
While this is something I can still do away from home, it is not the same. Since I am three hours ahead, I don't know where my mom is at in her day. She could be at work, or sick in bed (because that happened a lot with a mom who has migraines). She could be at my grandma's or at friends. Luckily, we're able to communicate fairly well when we need to, but I never realized how easy it was to usually get ahold of my mom until I moved away.
6. Surprising my grandma with random visits or gifts.
Whether is it a surprise visit in the morning or being her favorite drink from Starbucks, my mom and I would always stop by my grandma's house when we could. As I grew older, school and work kept me a lot busier than my mom, but I still cherish the trips to my grandma's because they would bring such a smile to her face. Being able to see her and her dog is something I realize I took advantage of while at home.
7. Begging for a dog every day when I know I'm never getting one until I officially live on my own.
I don't even know how long I have asked for a dog, but I know it's been at least a decade. Every birthday and Christmas I put a dog on my list. Whenever it is adoption weekend at Petco, I drag my mom to see the puppies. While I know that the time will come once I live on my own and support myself completely, that doesn't stop me from always asking for a new dog from my parents.
8. Bonding over weird things like mugs and bags.
There are many things I am certain my mom has passed down to me and her obsession over purses and mugs is one of them. While she loves purses but really only uses one, maybe two, I have a bin full of purses in my closet back home. However, we both have completely taken over two cabinets at home with mugs and thermoses, because for some reason only a few isn't enough.
9. Confiding in her about things I tell basically no one else.
After I grew out of my little rebellion phase, which was probably after sixth grade, my mom was the first person I would always go to first for things. Even if I told something to a friend in passing, my mom was always one of the first people to hear my thoughts. I always knew she would never pass judgment or laugh at anything I said to her and I am so grateful for that.
10. Begging for a backrub.
This is something we can blame my grandpa for because he would rub my back when I was only two pounds in an incubator. Ever since I was a baby, I've begged for back rubs and that is still true to this day. Nothing's changed and I can always rely on my mom to give me one if her hug after a long day doesn't do the trick.
She is my best friend and I am so happy to call her mom. She says she got lucky but in reality, I am the one who got lucky.