When it comes to my own mom, I hit the jackpot (read this for proof). She's exceptionally loving and sweet, but tough when she needs to be. She is supportive, but not a pushover. Our personalities are different enough that we never had the great mother-daughter clash most teenage girls and their mothers experience (we're complements, not carbon copies), but we're similar enough that we always love to vacation, shop, or just do nothing together. In short, she's my best friend. I know how cheesy that sounds, but what can I say? It's true.
Our close-knit relationship has made my life pretty great (seriously, when your mom is a rock and your relationship is solid, you're pretty much a step ahead in life from the start, if I do say so myself). But when I became a mother, I realized that our closeness was also going to have a great effect on my parenting style, confidence level, and day-to-day choices in many profound ways, most of them good, but some . . . not so much. If you're a lucky mom like me who calls your own mother your best friend, here are some of the benefits and hurdles you might find yourself dealing with.