There aren't many people that "get me," but my mom has always been one of them. She knows me on an intuitive level. She knows when something's wrong before I even know something's wrong. She asks me if I have a cold before I'm even aware I'm sniffling. I've never felt judged by her or like I had to pretend to be anything I'm not.
We have a huge list of inside jokes. But my favorite hinges around the song "Believe" by Cher.
I have no idea how the joke started, but the same general set-up and scenario has been played out dozens, maybe even hundreds of times. I start to sing "Do you..." in my best Cher imitation. She picks up. We scream "believe in life after love," and everyone else thinks we're lunatics. When we're feeling real ambitious, we continue into the second verse.
At the dinner table. On the phone. In the middle of a conversation. Driving, at a restaurant. Doesn't matter when or where.
She's never been annoyed. Ever. It's always the same, joyful reaction. Every single time.
I'm in my late-mid-twenties and it's been a struggle. Stress seems to come from every direction, and there's a lot of general malaise and unease floating around the thought of the future.
But whenever I hear "Believe" I'm reminded a constant, simple joy. And I remind myself to give ma a call.