We all have that one friend that we consider to be the "mom" of our friend group. She is the one that takes care of everyone in your friend group. She is the responsible one. She is the one who lectures you for eating that cookie before dinner or being out too late instead of studying for your exam. She is the friend that you rely on to keep you on the right track and help you out when you need it. If you cannot think of a friend like that, chance are that that friend is you.
Throughout high school I had one friend that was definitely the mom of our friend group. I was one of those teenagers that did not think before I acted. Typical am I right? She was always there to pick me up when I was down and was there to correct my mistakes and prevent me from making the same mistakes over and over again. The funny thing is that my friends and I always joked about how she was the mom of our group and none of us wanted to be that way. However, somehow I have evolved into the mom of my friend group now. I don't know when it happened or how it happened, but I am the new mom among my group of friends.
It all started yesterday. I was dropping off one of my friends after a few hours of playing board games. As soon as he left my car and I drove off I got nervous because I never actually saw him walk into his dorm. I started panicking because what if he had gotten kidnapped and I didn't know about it (this was seriously in broad daylight too)? So I texted him and called him to just make sure and of course he was fine. Then it hit me. That was a total mom move.
Now I think back on all of the mom-ish tendencies I have. For example, while most college students go out and go to parties, I stay in and read books and knit the occasional scarf that I still have not finished. Furthermore, I always find myself cleaning the apartment as a distraction from school. In high school, my nickname was "Mama Henderson." I got this nickname from being prepared for every scenario during Latin Convention. I was always there to help out the other Latin kids. Whether someone forgot to pack an extra shirt or someone got a paper cut, I was the first one there to their aid. I just want to take care of people. I am the friend that will lecture you if you come home too late and have not done your homework yet. I am the girl that gets anxious if my friends don't text me as soon as they get home. I am also the girl that cleans up during parties. We had a group of friends come over during the summer. Everyone was playing games and having a good time and I was following everyone around making sure they did not set a drink down without a coaster or lay their trash somewhere other than in the garbage can. That is just the type of person that I have become.
I know the whole mom-of-the-friend-group concept has a negative connotation to most people, but it is not all that bad. If someone tells you that you're acting like a mom, take it as a compliment. I look at my mom and think of how wonderful of a person she is. She is so strong, hardworking, and the coolest woman I know. If someone is calling me a mom, then they are basically comparing me to her and to me that is a total compliment. If I can be anywhere near as cool as my mom, then I have fulfilled my life goal. Furthermore, if you're the mom of your friend group, you have authority over all of your friends. They look to you for guidance so you're their new leader. They will listen to what you have to say. You're the responsible one remember?
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