Let’s face it: The parent/child
relationship can be a
roller coaster ride.
Growing up, you often believe your mother’s sole
purpose is to take care of you. In your mind, she
doesn’t exist outside of the confines of parenthood.
By your teenage years, you start to butt heads over
fashion, curfews, and attitudes. As you grow and
mature, she becomes a listening ear and a shoulder
to cry on. But it’s when you become an adult
yourself that your relationship starts to flourish
as a friendship, and it’s beautiful.
These local ladies are proud to call their
moms their best friends. Here, they give
insight into their special bond.
Teresa Morgan and Audra Hopkins
“Having my mom as my best friend means the world to me. I have always been close to both of my parents, but as I have gotten older, the relationship changes from them having to parent me and raise me to us being able to depend on each other as friends. The amount of respect I have for my mom will never waiver. She has been there for me from day one, and she remains by my side now. Having my mom as my best friend means always having the right person beside me; she challenges me, loves me, and understands me as a daughter and as a woman. I have a beautiful, strong, loving, and caring mother, which is everything I hope to be as a mom one day. We have been through a lot together, but her strength and wisdom always shine through and keep us close. Mom, I love that you are my best friend!”
Dr. Felicia McGhee and Dr. Essie McGhee
“My mother, Dr. Essie McGhee, is my best friend for several reasons. She has always been my cheerleader, she provides me with wise and spiritual counsel, and she pushes me to walk into my destiny. She is truly my “shero.” She exemplifies what it means to be a mother, wife, and educator. She was the first black female principal of a high school in Pontiac, Michigan. Now fast-forward 20 years, and I am the first black female department head in the communication department at the University of Tennessee at Chattanooga and just the second in the history of the whole university. Growing up, my mom used to say that parents have to love their kids, but they don’t have to like them. Fortunately, she likes me, and I love AND like her too!”
Lesley Schmidt and Joyce Jones
“Good parents make good friends and also good neighbors! My mom and I live across the street from each other, and she is the best neighbor I have ever had. Not only is she the kind I can borrow a cup of sugar or an egg from whenever, but she is a friend who can pop over to share a morning cup of coffee and a heart-to-heart. She is someone who I call when I have had a difficult day at work, and someone I want at my birthday gal pal dinner. The journey from being the child of your parent to becoming an adult and a friend to your parent is a beautifully evolving one. You realize there has always been more to their lives than just you!”
