Certainly she is an amazing role model and has raised each of the Newton children well, but any mother can do those sorts of things. Any mom can teach a child right from wrong, bring them to church, and create upstanding citizens. However, my mother is something to me that is far greater than any traditional motherly role. She is my best friend.
There are four things a best friend is defined by according to society
- Always in communication
- Stalks your crush on Facebook and approves them
- Supports you in your endeavors
- "Lays down their life"
Communication
If anyone were to take my phone and look at the call history or my text threads, my mother's number would be at the top 99% of the time. When I started college, I made sure to schedule in some time to talk to my mom, but that went away. That did not stop me from talking to my mom however.
It made me talk to her more.
I call my mom practically every chance I get. If I just turned in a lab report, taken a test, or written up a resident, my mom will hear about it. If I am bored and have twenty minutes before my next activity, I give her a call. There is not a second in the day that I couldn't talk to my mom, and I am very blessed with this opportunity.
Facebook Stalking
I have told my mom about every single guy that I think is cute. From the guy across the church to the kids in class to the cute barista at Starbucks, my mother has heard about them all. She gets to see the profile pictures of every single one, and she even lets me be silly in my stories. I fail constnatly in the relationship department, and she supports me through it.
At the same time however, my mom is a true best friend in this regard. A best friend lets you know when a guy is not good enough for you and helps you heal your heart. When I liked a guy for nearly two years that I was not worth my time, my mom did not just say, "oh hun that sucks, let's go get you another guy!"
My mom has helped me see that I need to find a true man of the faith, like my father and my grandfather. She has reminded me constantly of my worth as a person. While society is constantly telling me to pursue a man who does not share my beliefs because it is politically correct, my mother reminds me that my faith made me. While my friends tell me to forgive and give them a second chance, she reminds me that I am not worth the begging, but rather deserver to move on.
And as I have failed time and time again, my mom has been there to help steer me away from these boys that diminish my worth. My future husband is truly blessed to someday have this woman as his future mother-in-law for she will help me become the best wife I can be.
Support
Ever since I was a child, my mom has helped me to get where I need to go. When I thought I was going to be a doctor, she helped me study for my classes, find the right colleges, and even researched the best ways to pay for medical school and where to apply. When I changed my mind, she helped me pursue research and helped me write my REU personal statements. When I decided to be the first one in my family to go Greek, she listened to me talk about the entire recruitment process and she still asks me about all the details with a smile.
My mom does not just support my goals, but she makes them possible. I care way too much about what other people say, and as a result, I have fallen to self-doubt a numerous amount of times. Yet, no matter how many times I have tried to give up on myself or how many people questioned me, my mom has supported me and kept me on track. I have never quit something, and that is all thanks to my mother.
I never will fail because my mom won't let me. And I am blessed to know that.
"No one has greater love than this, to lay down
one’s life for one’s friends" John 15:13
Jesus himself said that the greatest form of love is to lay down their life for their friends. While my mother has not died for us, she has given up everything for us. She chose to stay at home and raise six children while she could have been continuing her career in science, the one that I am starting to pursue myself. She gives up endless amounts of time and money just so that we may have best life possible.
My mom practically never sleeps. She is up super early to console my baby sisters and take the dog out, so that takes a toll on her sleep. And then on the other end, I am constantly keeping her up, crying to her about all of my irrational problems. Even still, my mom never complains about how tired she is to us. She loves us so much that she is rarely at rest, something that I could never pull off.
But my mom has done more than this.
I could say that these things could be done by any friend. And it is true, I have had numerous friends who at one point or another supported me in all that I am, talked to me about boys, and sacrificed for me.
Sadly however, almost all of my best friends have left my life in some way or another. Some left because they were done. Some left because they didn't care about my problems. Some did far worse and stabbed the heart that I wear on my sleeve. Regardless of how, I have been left alone in the dust far too many times to count. This led me to feeling lonely and wondering if I ever would have a true best friend, the kind that people always seem to be talking about.
My Mom Never Left.
My mom has been there through everything. Each problem I have had typically causes a huge change in social situation. My mom still loves me. Each success I have had typically causes people to leave or come only for their benefit. My mom still loves me for me. Each failure typically causes me to be alone in my room, crying in the dark. My mom still loves me for me and calls me to tell me so.
I kept praying for God to send me a real best friend. For years, I would lay awake, listening to sad music, begging God for someone to truly love me. I would tell people how lonely I was, and I sought counseling on so many occasions, yet nothing seemed to work.
In the interest of time, I will not share the story of the night that I finally opened my eyes. But to remind the ones who know, I had an extremely rough night where I completely hated myself for making the same mistakes I made in high school and hated myself for no true reason. My mom loved me through that. And in the morning, I went to Mass and heard the song, You Are Mine playing. I instantly thought of my mother who rocked me and loved me through everything.
My Mom Is My Best Friend.
For 21 years and nine months, my mom has loved me and been my friend. While the rest of the world has failed me, she never has. While I may have failed her, she never has. God did not need to send some person in to my life, but rather He let me hurt so I could finally open my dumb eyes and see that He gave me a best friend long before I even knew the meaning of those word.
God sent my best friend to this earth on this day and He made the world better because of it.
Thank you so much mom for being the best friend I could ever ask for.
I love you,
Felicity Rose
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