We, who have been blessed to have had a mom that has remained present, know the truly special place they have in our hearts and in our lives. As kids, we love our moms and know we need them, but we get so easily annoyed when she tells us to come home before 11 p.m., apologize to our sister, or clean our room. Then, you leave home and go off (7 hours away for me) to school and realize that your mom is your biggest encourager, a trustworthy confidant, someone who gets your weirdness yet still loves you, and if you're like me- your best friend.

Reasons Why My Mom is My BFF.

1. There is no one else I'd rather shop with.

She's not only my favorite because she will generously get me that fabulous dress I don't really need, but because Mom is the only one who will be totally honest about how unflattering the peplum shirt is on me, no matter HOW much I want to get it. Moms just know what works and what doesn't.

I wish Kris had said something...

2. She knows who we need to avoid.

There is no other friend who knows exactly who NOT to talk to when we're out in public. Whether it's the ex boyfriend, estranged friend, high school teacher, or crazy family member, she gets the subtle "don't look now" and "come act like you're looking at this thing over here" hints. No questions asked.

3. I can call her when I'm being crazy (and it's totally normal for her).

I've called countless times upset about a getting bad test grades, roommate debacles, my favorite pair of pants ripping, how I haven't been able to do laundry all week, or when I've decided I just want to give up on life. She's always there to listen patiently, take the hysterical crying in stride, and tell me everything's going to be okay.

4. She laughs with me.

We can belly laugh at a comment or an incident while everyone else in the room is silent. We just know why it's funny and cannot explain it. Every time we go to a party or family event together, we have to keep a mental list so we can debrief the hilarity afterward. She sends me eCards and I send her Facebook screenshots. It never gets old.

5. She doesn't food shame me.

When I want that overly large piece of her scrumptious chocolate cake, she says, "Go for it!." She would stop me if I was going too far, but there's no guilt in having a bowl of ice cream for second dessert at our house after a hard week.

These are just five out of five million reasons why I love my mom, they may seem trivial or superficial, but it's the little things that show great love. My mom just being present for me, wanting to hangout, picking up the phone when I call, being honest but not condemning, enjoying and laughing at life with me, standing by my side- these are the things that make her the best gal pal I will ever have.