All the way back in February, when I turned 26, my mom got me the best birthday present ever: Tickets to Taylor Swfit's 1989 World Tour.
Apart from being born in the same year and going through similar growing pains, Taylor Swift and I have another huge thing in common: Our moms are our best friends.
My mom, like Taylor's, has always been my friend — especially when I didn't have many.
reason #1000000 why my mom will be the perfect @taylorswift13 concert date ❤️💛💚💜
Though we're a decidedly less graceful pair.
But seriously, my mom's a superhero. She went back to medical school when she was 40 years old, she moved to a different city to do a prestigious residency and drove two hours home three times a week. She still made refreshments for all my high school theater productions and came to all my shows. She took me to New York for the first time when I was 16 because I wanted to see a Broadway show. She's a superhero.
Two months after my mom gave me the tickets, Taylor posted that her mom had been diagnosed with cancer on Tumblr. It was a heartbreaking, terrifying awakening, and it made me just that much more grateful for every minute I get to spend with my mom/BFFL.
So 8 months after I'd set the countdown on my phone, we started getting ready for the concert.
Ironically, I had to travel from New York to my mom's hometown of Columbus, Ohio to see Taylor.
And we perfected our red lip classic thing together. We were ready.
We realized later that our matching black outfits and blue nails made it look like we were going to a very hip funeral in space.
Oh well.
My mom, always prepared, listened to 1989 on repeat in her car for weeks until she'd learned all the lyrics.
And I do mean all the lyrics.
If you've never been to a Taylor Swift concert, I can tell you one thing for sure: It's full of the best energy.
There are tons of young girls, young women, moms, daughters, grandmothers, and they're all just so excited. We saw tutus, costumes from the "Wildest Dreams" music video, glow sticks, glow paint, two women had on bathrobes with a sign that read, "Put some damn clothes on!" The mood was just amazing.
It made me a little bit sad, thinking how I used to be that young and excited about everything. But then I remembered that it's fine, because I can drink alcohol now.
Totally fine.
Then we found our seats, and I got teary (for the first time).
We were so close to the stage, and there were so many people. And we were all in the same place because the same person had made us feel a little less alone in the world. Look, it's cheesy, but honestly it was SO UNEXPECTEDLY EMOTIONAL.
And then we met Taylor. Haha, I am messing with you.
Such a good joke.
But we did get a very quick glimpse of Taylor's mom before she was overtaken by fans.
It was a very cool couple seconds.
Vance Joy opened, and he did a cover of Sam Smith's "Stay With Me," and my mom was very excited because she knew that song.
And then Taylor came out. And I got teary (for the second time).
After months and months of anticipation, the show was more amazing than either of us could have imagined.
And we sang along, because MY MOM KNEW ALL THE LYRICS.
The lady behind us was over it.
We look like angry baby birds waiting to be fed.
But honestly, who could blame her?
It really was magical. It was a magical evening. I got to see this person who I've felt weirdly close to since high school, next to the one person I've felt close to my whole life.
At the end of the concert, all this confetti fell from the ceiling and I teared up (for the last time).
Because Taylor Swift is awesome, but my mom is the best.