To say I was a difficult child would be an understatement. I'm pretty sure I made my parents' life a living hell on a daily basis. I was stubborn and argumentative, and it wasn't until I reached middle school that I realized the pain I was inflicting on their lives. The moment I realized how much of an impact my harsh insults had on my mom, I vowed to never hurt her like that again. My entire life, my mom has gone to lengths farther than I could ever describe to take care of me and provide me happiness, and it killed me inside to see how I was repaying her for all she did.

From then on, the relationship I had with my mom shifted completely. Instead of keeping secrets from her and snapping at her whenever she said something I didn't agree with, I opened up to her about everything and made the time each day to sit down with her and just talk. As I got older, I found that one of my favorite things to do was to sit on the couch with her and just talk about our days. I was never embarrassed to tell my friends that I couldn't hang out because I was spending the day with my mom. It was actually the opposite. I anticipated "girl's days" with my mom more than anything in the world.

I came to trust my mom with everything I had in me. I went from being the daughter who withheld everything from her mother to the daughter who told my mom every single little detail about my life...even if she didn't want to hear it all. I valued every piece of advice she gave me with my whole heart and trusted her opinion more than anyone else's. Nothing gave me more comfort than being wrapped in her warm hugs and spending late nights watching "Friends" with her.

Going away to school was possibly one of the hardest things that we both had to overcome. I suffered from horrible separation anxiety for the first few months of college, having no idea what to do with myself without my mom there to support me and take care of me. Nothing was worse than having to take care of myself when I was sick, and I constantly craved her magical chicken noodle soup and comforting hugs. I became that child who would call their mom at least three times a day, and they would often be the highlight of my day. I loved sharing my college adventures with my mom, and hearing her voice always managed to cheer me up, even on my hardest days. Between breaks, we count down the days until we see each other again, and when the time to be reunited comes around, I know I'll always find her jumping in the doorway as I pull up towards our house.

As time continues to go on and as I grow older, I find myself growing even closer to my mom. When my friends tell me they don't have a good relationship with their mom, it truly breaks my heart because I couldn't imagine living a life where my mom wasn't my best friend. I trust my mom with my life, and I will always cherish our special relationship. I will never be embarrassed to call my mom my best friend or to tell a friend I can't hang out because I'm spending the day with my mom. Instead, I'll admit it proudly.

I love you so much, mom. Thank you for always being my rock.