My mom and I have been told that the relationship we have should not be the way that it is. We have been told that my mom should be a mom first and then a friend second. Personally, I do not agree with the idea that a mom should be a mom first and then a friend. I believe that if my mom were like that, we may not have the same relationship that we have today.
My mom has gone through so much. She was in the military (Air Force) from 2001 or 2002 to 2012. She had me in 2005, when she was on her own in Texas on one of the bases. That was extremely tough for her because there was one member of my family—I am not naming who—but they were not truly supportive of my mother because she was having a child outside of marriage. Nowadays, it is not that big of a deal. But for that family member, it was a big deal because for her, it was all about her image and how people perceived her. Because she cared more about herself and her image, she was making my mom’s pregnancy tough. I remember my mom telling me that after she had me, she wanted a good relationship with her child. And that is exactly what she got.
I truly feel that my mom was my first best friend. Sorry Abby. I remember having so many fun moments with my mom throughout my years. I have two favorite memories of my mom. The first one is our “fort” days. When I was a kid, my mom and I lived with my grandparents in Rochester. When my mom was home, especially on rainy days, we would walk to a gas station, we would get chips and dip, walk back, and build a fort with chairs, blankets, pillows, and the couch. We would spend so much time in those forts. I loved those days.
My second favorite memory was our road trip to Florida to visit my grandmother. This took place last summer, and we drove from Buffalo, New York, to Orlando, Florida, in about two days. We saw so much on our trip down. For me, I loved seeing the different landscapes and seeing the southern version of some northern animals. For example, we were driving from Orlando to Wendell, North Carolina, because we were spending the night at my aunt and uncle’s house. While we were driving, the cars in front of us slammed on their brakes, and a tiny deer ran into the forest next to us. I looked at my mom and I said, “Why is there a baby deer in the middle of the road without its mother?” My mom’s response was, “No, hon. That was a full-grown deer.” WHAT!? What I thought was a baby deer was actually a full-grown deer. I knew my aunt and my grandmother were not lying when they told me, but I needed to see it to believe it.
My mom will always be the one I go to for certain things. She is the one that I go to for advice when issues arise or when I don’t know what to do for a summer job. Am I bullheaded about advice? Yes, I am bullheaded about some advice that my mom gives me, but I do think about the advice that she gives me. I love my mom, and I hope that nothing changes our relationship.