Mom, mama, mommy, mother, Kris Jenner, out of all the names I call my mom, “best friend” will never be one of them, nor do I want it to be. I love my mom more than life itself, and I can’t imagine what life would be like without her. That being said, my mom is exactly that, a mom. She is my parent. She is the woman who carried me in her belly for nine months, the one who changed my diapers, took me to dance class, helped me with my homework, played with me, grounded me for being out past curfew, warned me for hanging out with the wrong crowd, encouraged me to do my best and supported me in all my decisions. Basically, she has loved and cared for me unconditionally for the past twenty years.

But according to some people my age, all of that means nothing if my mom and I don’t talk about who is hooking up with who and what the latest Twitter drama is. The question lingers: if your mom isn’t your best friend, is she even your mom?

In high school, girls used to make fun of me for not being best friends with my mom, and I always felt insecure about it. I would think, “I wish my mom was cool”, or, “I wish I could talk to my mom the way my friends talk to their moms.” But the older I get, the more thankful I am that those wishes never came true. I am the young woman I am today because of my mom and the way she raised me.

When the police busted me for drinking at age 16, I didn’t need a best friend-mom to supply my alcohol, I needed a mother to let me know I was out of line and that my actions were unacceptable. When I got my heart broken by my high school boyfriend, I didn't need a best friend-mom to post about what an idiot he was on Facebook, I needed a mom to let me know that there was more to life than being a high school cheerleader dating a football player. When I got an A on my first college research paper, I didn't need a best friend-mom to not care, I needed a mom to let me know she was proud of me. When I started to date an older guy, I needed my mom to be the one to break it to my dad, and when he sucked, I needed my mom to make sure I knew I deserved better.

So, no, my mom isn’t my best friend, but that doesn’t mean that we don’t have an awesome relationship, and it sure as hell doesn’t make her a bad mother. In fact, she is the best. I wouldn’t trade all of those times she has yelled at me, grounded me, or been disappointed in me for anything. Because of her, I know right from wrong. I know how to respect people. I know when to speak my mind and when to keep quiet. I know my mom has done everything in her power to make me the most successful and happy human. And that is exactly what she has done, not by being my best friend, but by being my mom.