“I know, I know parent first, friend second. I most definitely follow that guideline, but on my own terms. There’s so much time in a day. There is enough time to parent and there is plenty of time left over to love.
I am not ashamed to admit that my daughter is my best friend. From pregnancy, I knew how special our bond would be. I would pray for her, I would sing to her, and I would talk to her about anything and everything. I did my best for her, ate nutritious foods, eliminated stress, and tried my best to get decent sleep. From the moment she was born, I was in complete awe and knew what my forever looked like. From there on out, she was attached to my tit (oops I mean hip, breastfeeding pun). As she’s grown older in the last year, our bond has grown too, and I would most definitely define her as my best friend.
I love waking up every morning, knowing she’s right there. We give big hugs and kisses to greet each other. Sometimes we start the day rambunctiously with tickles. Sometimes we snuggle back into the sheets, stretching our mornings out. We lay cuddled up scrolling through my phone or watching YouTube videos. Then we have our morning milky and coffee together and yell at our disobedient Google home.
We have dance parties to Elmo. We love shopping. She likes to run her hand down all the clothes and we ALWAYS stop at the toy aisle. People probably think I’m crazy, talking to my one-year-old and asking her opinion on if we should get this or that. But I don’t care.
We share lunches and cheers our drinks. We play. We play everything, peek a boo, house, chase, and catch and it’s the highlight of my day. I enjoy chasing her around the park and watching her little brain light up in the library. I love ending my night cuddled up on the couch with her, watching a movie and sharing a bowl of ice cream.
We genuinely have a good time and nothing else besides that matters because she is my best friend. Watching her grow and learn has become my latest and most favorite hobby.
Aside from all the fun we have, she has every attribute a best friend would have. You see, a friend doesn’t push you to be something you’re not. My daughter helps me to be the most authentic version of myself. There are no limitations or conditions to our relationship.
Best friends inspire you, show you empathy, root for you, and love you unconditionally and no one portrays that more genuinely than my daughter.
She makes me smile bigger, love more, and laugh harder. She truly is my best friend. She’s everything I never knew I needed, and she came into my life at the exact moment I needed her. Yes, I gave her life, but she really gave me mine.
I am honored to be her best friend now and for years to come. I vow to always be a role model for her as to what a best friend should be. Being her parent AND her best friend is the greatest gift.”
This story was submitted to Love What Matters by Jessica Edmisten, 23, of Ohio. You can follow her journey on Instagram here. Do you have a similar experience? We’d like to hear your important journey. Submit your own story here. Be sure to subscribe to our free email newsletter for our best stories, and YouTube for our best videos.
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