My Daughter Is My Best Friend

“Mommy, I’m your best friend.”

This phrase from my daughter, Henley, melts my heart, every.single.time. It also happens to be completely true. My daughter is my best friend. After all, we’re both figuring out this childhood/parenthood thing together.

From time to time, my fellow moms encourage me to take a break, which I do for the occasional date night or gathering. But for the most part, I want to soak up my time with her especially after a week of work. I love spending time with her.

And like all great best friends she brings out the best in me.

She makes me wonder.

Henley’s the kind of person who snags a sunflower from a farmers’ market booth and dances with it all through the park pulling me into her world. We spin until we’re silly dizzy whether it’s at home or in public. There’s a freedom in exploring the world through a new set of eyes that are so reminiscent of my own. We dream of future things, we dream of imaginary things, and sometimes we just dream.

She’s honest.

There are plenty of people in the world who will spin a tale, fudge a story, or flat out lie because it’s easy. True friends care more about you than their comfort. She’s three, so she’s honest mostly because the world hasn’t taught her to be anything else. (But I hope to nurture it in her as well.) She lets me know when I’ve hurt her feelings, when she’s scared, or even when I’m too loud 😂. It helps me better understand her and lets us have deep conversations when she hurts my feelings, scares me, or is a little too loud.

She’s kind.

For the past week, she’s been selling me on the idea Goldilocks is nice and friends with the three bears. She sees the good in others even storybook characters. She also sees the good in me. Isn’t that the hallmark of being a best friend seeing through to someone’s heart ❤️? While I might not be pouring out my heart over a glass of wine – right now I don’t need that in a best friend – I’m opening up a new part of my soul. I don’t even mind the hard conversations and tantrums. Most of the time is bliss.

So as weird as it might seem, my daughter is my best friend, my tribe. So when you see me flaking on mom’s night out – it’s cause I’m already with my girl.

Does anyone else feel this way?