My two daughters are grown, married, with children, and I still shake my head in amazement. Have you ever baked something, drawn something, written something, and it came out far better than you had any right to expect? That's my two girls. I was an in-your-face, cookie-baking, PTA-going, stay-at-home mommy and all the hassle turned out to be worth it. We're not, and never have been, best friends. They have their own friends. Rather, I like to think of myself as President of their fan club.
We actually enjoy each other's company. They actually seek out mine. I have learned to Keep My Mouth Shut now that they are adults and can make their own decisions. (It has helped to make me a more popular mother-in-law, too.) My mother coined a phrase many years ago, strictly understated tongue-in-cheek: "You turned out to be a highly satisfactory child." I tell that to my girls often. They laugh, but I know they like it.