Friends Mom [patched] Now

Your own mom knows how to push your buttons because she installed them. But a friend’s mom offers advice without the baggage. When I told Diane I was thinking of quitting my stable job to freelance, she didn't panic like my mom did. She just said, "You’re smart enough to land on your feet. The safety net is ugly anyway."

When you’re young, you assume your friends' parents were always old. Now, when I look at Diane, I don't just see Mark’s mom. I see the girl from Oregon. I see the young wife. I see the exhausted mother of a toddler. It makes the gray hairs look less like aging and more like earned wisdom. friends mom

She’s waiting for someone to ask. What about you? Do you have a "second mom" who shaped your life? Let me know in the comments below. Your own mom knows how to push your

If you’re reading this and your best friend’s mom is still around, text her. Ask her about Oregon. She just said, "You’re smart enough to land on your feet

Mark finally showed up an hour late. We hugged, I grabbed a leftover brownie, and I left.

I spent last Saturday afternoon at my friend Mark’s parents’ house. Mark was running late (classic Mark), so I sat on the back porch with his mom, Diane. Fifteen years ago, I would have been awkwardly scrolling through my phone. This time, we talked.