I can’t say when specifically, but at some point your mom becomes less of a rule shouting militant and more of a friend, a confidant, someone you genuinely want to spend time with. My mom still fulfills the role of a stereotypical mother figure, what with all the nagging and orders and “why don’t yous….” (I love you, mom!) but she has become something even more than a mom. She’s become one of my best friends.

Same shoes always.

[Side note: This will not be a super sappy post. One of the qualities I inherited from my mom is the inability to make even the sappiest of things…well, sappy. My mom’s birthday is in February and I had every intention of publishing this post for her special day. I should also mention that lateness is another quality I inherited from her.]

It’s a funny feeling when you realize that one of the first people you want to tell something to is your mom. You slowly start keeping them in the loop on the ins and outs of everyday life and even make *gasp* plans together that extend beyond cleaning a certain room in the house.

Woman stole my look. And my shirt.

To be clear, my mom and I never hit a point in life where we didn’t get along. Things are just different now that I’ve been living on my own and am a fully (ok, partially) functioning adult. We both share things with each other that we might not have in the past and we truly look to each other to share opinions, whether it’s on a larger scale issue or what to wear to a wedding. I’m even trying to enlist her to help with a work project!

I realize I’m extremely lucky to have a mom who I want to hang out with on a more-than-regular basis. Ceej, as I like to call her, makes everyone laugh, isn’t afraid to act a fool in public, and, as far as I know, has no enemies. In fact, I think the biggest “dis” she’s ever gotten was when someone said she was “too perky” for their taste. (Or maybe the biggest dis would be when I told her that her grand plan for turning an old stereo cabinet into a Barbie mansion was stupid. I don’t know if I’ve ever seen her look so hurt. Sorry, mom. It was an awesome idea.)

Shopping the vintage section of my dad’s closet.

We now communicate in emojis and text messages throughout the day like a couple of teenagers and can shop together for hours on end. We scour the home decorating section of Target each time we’re there – even if it’s only been a week since the last visit. Our closets have some identical pieces, some of which were intentional and some coincidental. Whenever we spend time with each other, I can guarantee that I will laugh multiple times and learn at least one thing. My mom is someone who I look up to both as a parent and now, I’m lucky to look to her as a best friend. #Ceej2016

BFFs