“A daughter is a little girl who grows up to be a friend,” an unknown author once wrote. That is correct, but a mother is already grown up, so she is the one guiding the relationship. Besides, the relationship between a mother and a daughter should never be an either/ or situation, as in “Is my mother my friend or my mother?” You are both. As such, you realize that from the beginning of time, girls have told their mothers when they disagreed with them, “You just don't understand me.”

Mothers always try to be as understanding and supportive as their daughters' best friends. That is not quite possible because a mother's wisdom and experience overarches the friendly feelings, thereby giving her the ability to sense or see obstacles on the horizon long before her daughter has an inkling. But every woman who has given birth to a daughter has the potential to be both a motherly friend and a friendly mother. Tempered with patience and a willingness to see your daughter's side, you can be a great mom if you just hang in there during your daughter's ups and downs, and offer encouragement whenever needed.