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Her children describe her as a forever friend. It’s a title Fort Deposit resident Tameka Axel does not take lightly.

“It’s a blessing to be considered a friend of my children,” Tameka said. “To be able to fit that description means the world to me. Knowing that I am considered their friend is a blessing.”

TyKerria Axel nominated her mother for The Lowndes Signal Celebrating Moms 2024 Sweepstakes because the mother of two is her first, best and forever friend. She describes her mother as someone who loves and accepts not only her children by birth, but others who come into her life.

“My mom is my forever friend because she always has an open heart and is always in my corner no matter what illness I’m facing or decisions I’m making,” TyKerria said. “She even accepts and loves other kids as her own. Even though she gave birth to only two kids, in her eyes she has plenty.”

Now the mother of two grown daughters, TyKerria and Ja’Tyus, Tameka said reaching the point of friendship to her children did not come with the title of “mother.”

“It is very difficult to be a friend to our children,” she said. “But benign that I have big girls makes it so much easier. I haven’t always been their friend because they have not always liked my decisions. But being older now, they understand my decisions because they have seen so much with other families.”

Tameka said she had a good role model for motherhood in her own mother, Brenda Phiffer. Then, as her children grew up, she became like a mother to their friends as well.

“Bonus children came in about their 10th grade year,” Tameka said. “Ja’Tyus is very outgoing. In her 10th grade year, after the COVID-19 pandemic, she returned to high school and those kids loved her. So, they began to visit and then they would come and stay and just hang out. We would talk, so I have been that mother figure to them.”

Titus and Tameka Axel have been married for 20 years. Both their daughters are grown, but still live at home and Tameka said the transition to parenting grown children has been interesting.

“You have to learn to allow them the space,” Tameka said. “I haven’t always given them that space. They knew I was strict and wanted what was best for them.”

Tameka was selected as the winner of The Lowndes Signal’s Celebrating Moms 2024 sweepstakes, but she represents the type of mother who exemplifies the contest them — Mothers are our first, best, forever friend.