My freshman year of college, I had a particularly nasty professor sit down and talk me through a change in majors the first semester of my freshman year.

“I’ve talked to my mom about this, and she agrees that, at least for now, music education is not for me,” I said. “I don’t feel like I want to be a choir teacher, but I do want to come back for a double major in performance later (which I did and am still doing). Right now I just want to catch up and be a public relations major.”

“Well, that’s your decision. Why did you talk to your mom about it?” he said.

“Because her opinion is valuable to me and I talk to her everyday to help me figure it out.”

“Every day? Everyone does that their freshman year, but you’ll grow up and get over it.”

I remember leaving that meeting infuriated and with tears in my eyes. I couldn’t imagine a day that my mom wasn’t my best friend and wasn’t the first person I went to for advice.

Almost four years later, I am now 21 years old and nothing has changed. I’m not afraid to admit that I would feel weird if I didn’t talk to my mother at least once per day. I call her on the way home from school or work, if I have to walk in the dark by myself, if I had a really bad day and need someone to help me get through it, or just if I have five minutes to chat. No one quite understands like my mother, and that’s what means everything to me.

She worries about me constantly. One time during my freshman year, I forgot to tell her when I had gotten back to my dorm. I also forgot to tell her that my morning class was cancelled for the next day…. And I also forgot to take my phone off silent. This result in her calling one of my dorms R.A.’s and getting him to come into my dorm to make sure I was alive. At the time, I was extremely frustrated and fussed at her for embarrassing me like that. I got a very simple response in return.

“Next time I’ll call the fire department.”

I’m not sure where she finds all this time for me when I know she has so much on her plate already. She’s constantly moving and working - traits I’ve been inspired by and inherited in my own life. My mom has her own life, and a very successful one at that, but somehow she still will drop everything to make sure I am okay. A lot of who she is is what I hope to be, one day, but I feel like I am nowhere close.

She isn’t always the most patient person with me, but she raised a daughter who is fiery, passionate, and impatient when things don’t go according to plan. So, when I look back on all of these instances, I sort of understand why she loses her cool when I’m being uncooperative. I’m so thankful for the independence she has instilled within me.

She taught me to rely on my faith through all hard times and to remain steadfast and strong, with God on my side.

She made me believe that I am better than that when someone does not give me the love or respect I deserve.

She encouraged me to fight for my beliefs and take on the world with an unwavering resilience partnered with compassion for life and an altruistic spirit.

My mother is my best friend, and I’m not afraid to tell anyone who will listen. Sometimes I catch myself saying, “Yeah, I get that from my mom,” even when it’s something another person has complained about in me. I say it as almost an apology, but then I realize that I’m not sorry at all.

No, I’m not a person who is going to back down from a challenge.

Yes, I will tell you exactly what I think.

Yes, I am exactly like my mother. Sometimes this means we butt heads and argue, but it’s because in raising me, she created a mirror image of herself.

I could disappoint every other person in the world, but if I could make my mom proud, it would have all been worth it. God gave me something special when he gave me a mother who is such a wonderful caretaker, mentor, singer, and companion. Her guidance in my life has ensured that I never take a moment for granted and make good use of my time.

I love showing people pictures of my mother and being told that we look so similar.

I love singing in the car with my mom any chance that we get- I wouldn’t be so in love with music today if it were not for her.

I love curling up with my mom with popcorn and Lifetime movies.

I love being wherever my mom is- because that is home.

I love my mom unconditionally. And that’s final.

Happy Mother’s Day, Mom.