Mothers, for most of us, are the people who are able to lift us from our darkest places. Our mother's words can cause intense healing and can also cut us very deep. There is no one in the world who can hurt or help us the most, because there is no one in the world that we strive to impress more. Because moms are the people who bring us into this world and the people who teach us to survive in it, moms are heroes.

My mom is the best person I know. I know that on more than one occasion, I have been the cause of headaches, tears, heartburn, and more than my share of gray hairs. But in the end my mom is still there to calm me down when my anxiety takes me over an edge or wipe my tears when my heart is breaking. She has been a single mom for most of my life and, although I miss my dad, I wouldn't have it any other way.

Having a single mom means so many things. It makes you different from a large number of the people you surround yourself with. It's hard sometimes to relate to people who have lived different lives than you have, but it doesn't mean you have missed out on anything. I love my mom, and honestly, it hasn’t always been a burden to have a lot of time with the woman who gave me life, but there are just some things I have found to be true that I have no business denying.

1. Your mother is both your best friend and your worst enemy. Not one or the other and sometimes they occur at the same time. You love her, but sometimes you’re so alike that she makes you crazy.

2. You can’t find time to hang out, but you live together. Literally, I woke up this morning and she wasn’t even there. But maybe I will catch her for dinner. But seriously, you can live with someone all your life and miss them in the next room.

3. You know how she feels about everything. And I mean everything, because she isn't afraid to give you her opinion. And if she isn’t giving it to your straight, she is probably doing that silent judgement thing that she does often. No matter what the topic, you can count on her honest opinion.

4. You're not sure how many times you’ve heard “I’m your friend” promptly before “please go away.” Because as much as she loves you, she still changed your diapers and dealt with your grocery store tantrums. Sometimes she needs a break from you.

5. She knows what you're doing, so there really isn't any point in lying to her. She knows your lying voice, your lying face, and every other little thing you do when you lie. You might as well just tell her what you did last night because she’s going to figure it out anyway.

6. You go to her in every situation. Because at the end of the day, she always has your best interest at heart. She’s dealt with all of your medical “emergencies,” she knows what to take when your head is hurting differently than before. She’s also lived her own life, had her own experiences, and knows what to say in any situation.

At the end of the day, my mother has been there for everything. She’s had my back more times than I can count. She has disagreed with me and understood where I was coming from all at the same time and has never asked why that could be. She is the person who buys my pink and sparkly Band-Aids at 19 years old. She’s the person who teaches me to be unique and tells me to embrace my differences. My single mom is my best friend, and I couldn’t ask for more.