Who do we usually see at all of our school competitions? Who makes an effort to take part in your extracurricular school boards? Who usually puts their issues aside for you? And who has been there for us since birth? Our moms.

It’s a well-known belief that once individuals reach a certain age (usually around the teenage years) that we begin to underappreciate our mothers and all that they do for us.

Suddenly everything they do kindles irritation and generates an unnecessary desire to rip our hair out. Even if it’s something as small as asking you to do the dishes when you’re swamped with homework or not allowing you to stay fifteen minutes out past curfew when you’re just watching a movie at a friend’s house. Whatever the case, we seem to grow more annoyed with her every time she opens her mouth.

However, we tend to overlook some of the thoughtful actions she carries out for us. I can’t tell you how many times my mom has run up to the school to drop off some inconsequential item I forgot at home or made sure I had everything I need to excel in my classes. They take care of our every need, not expecting anything in return other than an occasional “thank you.” Our moms are a guaranteed friend since birth and it’s such a shame that we overlook that.

In addition to being there for each family member individually, they also serve as the emotional backbone of the family. Speaking in a stereotypic sense, fathers play the role of the enforcer, deciding whether you can or can’t do something and when he doesn’t rule in our favor, we tend to run to our moms for help because they like to keep everybody happy. They’re almost the martyr between any family feud.

And my favorite trait any mother has is the ability to forgive anything, no matter how dire the deed was. We’ve all chewed out our mom or abused her trust, but regardless of this injustice she always seems to love us. She’s one of the few people who will be the bigger person and forgive you (even if you don’t deserve it).

We need to make a change because “it’s a phase”  is no excuse to treat the most important woman in our lives this way. The disrespectful language and hateful looks need to be replaced by maturity and understanding of why our mothers act this way because they always have our best interests in mind. They loves us through thick and thin and, goodness, is that hard to find in others nowadays.

So next time your mom is getting on your nerves, think of all the times she’s been there for you and know she is one of the few people who will put your problems before hers. I know it can be tough to hold your tongue but at the end of the day, moms are usually our number one fan.