Evolution: I assume it began as a mother/daughter relationship usually does: quite moments just starring at each other smiling back and forth, lauding minor accomplishments like learning to yawn, roll over, sit up. Things progressed to rules, advice, "I hate you! Mom"'s , correcting late night english papers, being awoken to hear about the myriads of boys...{luckily for her this came after high school}.Then there was France...I snuck out to a pay phone twice while my companion was in the shower just to say hi :)...there were breakups, breakdowns, successes. I moved to the East Coast and there were new homes, new furniture, new paint, vacations, Christmas' at home, and it was odd because we had evolved from nightly chats on the foot of her bed to calls when the time zones aligned. I grew up. I left the "nursery". I didn't need a mother anymore, I just needed my mom. I needed a friend, a confidant, a rock, someone to laugh with when I thought of something cruel {this is daily with me :)}, someone to sob to when I was too scared to show the rest of the world how I really felt, someone to remind me who I was when I forgot, someone to show me my potential when it seemed lost. People say I sound like her, I have her confidence, her fearless nature, they say I look like her, throw parties like her, and love like her....I could not be more flattered than to be even a bit like her. What an amazing "her" she is, and I am so fortunate to not only have her for a mother, but also a dear friend on this chaotic ride. Happy Mother's Day Teresa....I love you.