There is a lot to unpack here, enough to make me want to write something on this topic. My son is 27 and has been living on his own for years. I don't want to be his best friend. I want to be something much bigger - a dad he can count on no matter what. The "friendship" aspect is one small part of that. I love him in a way his friends never can, and while friends may come and go, I will be "Dad" the rest of his life.