I spent $4,000 on tickets to see Taylor Swift with my daughter. It was worth every penny.

• Like many parents, I tried everything to get Taylor Swift tickets as soon as they were out on sale.
• Eventually, we had to buy them on resale with help from my extended family.

My 12-year-old daughter started asking to see Taylor Swift months ago. I was open to taking her to Philadelphia, a three-hour drive from home. However, getting tickets was so hard that the United States Senate held hearings about the debacle. The singer called the struggle to get tickets "excruciating."

Like many mothers of pre-teen girls, I downloaded the Ticketmaster app and checked for tickets several times a day. Once, I had tickets in my cart, but the app froze before I could check out. Another time I logged in before bed, and when I rechecked the app more than nine hours later, there were still more than 1,500 people ahead of me in the queue. When it was my turn to choose seats, there were none left. I checked resale sites but could not find tickets under $1,700 before fees, even in the nosebleed section.

As the weeks wore on and the concert date grew closer, my daughter's desperation reached a fever pitch. At one point, we had a lead on tickets. When they fell through, my daughter crumbled and retreated to her room, crying hysterically. I went to social media and posted, "SOS! In desperate need of Taylor Swift tickets. Do not want to take out a second mortgage."

My extended family pitched in for us to get tickets

Almost as if by magic, a cousin in Texas sent me a text telling me that her two sisters, her mother, and another cousin would chip in to buy my daughter tickets for her birthday. "How does that sound?" she asked. I assumed she had no idea how much tickets actually cost, but she sent another text a few minutes later saying, "Done!" Tears formed in my eyes, marveling at how lucky my daughter is surrounded by so much love.

I tried to keep the tickets a secret for a big reveal, but I spilled the beans, knowing that my daughter would want to prepare. I'm pretty sure my cousin thousands of miles away in Texas heard her scream. My daughter immediately started planning her outfit, a gold sequin skirt from Swift's "Lover" era. She bought heart-shaped glasses and gems for her face and hair and started making friendship bracelets to trade with other Swifties.

We spent more time together prepping for the show

My daughter, who in typical pre-teen fashion is always too busy for her parents, suddenly seemed to want to spend time with me. She made sure I knew the best Taylor Swift songs and essential lyrics. Although I wasn't a Taylor Swift fan before, my daughter's excitement was infectious, and I started listening to the Eras Tour playlist even when my daughter wasn't around. I learned about my daughter this way, paying attention to the lyrics she most identified with and understanding how she might consider Swift a friend she's never met.

My daughter asked me to make friendship bracelets with her. I spelled out the names of Swift's albums in heart-shaped beads. That's when I got my first spontaneous "I love you" of the week. We went on a frantic — but unsuccessful — search for body glitter. My daughter shopped my closet for concert-ready clothing.

We arrived almost 8 hours before the concert started, and some merch was already sold out

On the day of the concert, Swift wasn't scheduled to take the stage until 8 pm. When my daughter requested to arrive at the venue around noon to buy merchandise and take in the "vibe" of "Taygating" I said yes. This concert, her first, was an event, and we might as well make the most of it. Even though we arrived so early, the merch truck was already sold out of the blue-crewneck sweatshirt she desperately wanted, but she made do with an alternative. Even though the temperature was close to 80 degrees, she put it on.

Once in the stadium, we bought overpriced water and french fries. We took in all of the different views of the stage. My daughter quickly made friends with Swifties all around her, the nicest girls in purple gowns, cowboy boots, and all manner of sparkle.

I wish my daughter could always be as happy as she was that day

Once Swift finally took the stage, I had a hard time taking my eyes off my daughter. She was more captivating than any Pop Princess could ever be. Her expression when she first saw Swift was one of complete disbelief. She was so clearly overwhelmed with the moment, the most exciting of her short life. Her expression quickly changed to pure joy. I watched my daughter sing, jump, dance, and sway for over three hours.

We saw Swift on Mother's Day. I held my daughter close when Swift talked about how much she loved her own mother and sang a song about their relationship called "The Best Day." I marveled at how lucky I was to share this experience with my daughter. I silently wished that she could always be that happy, so content, and so completely in the moment.

I walked out of the concert knowing that our village had given us both the gift of my daughter's best day. It was worth every penny. Although seeing the phenomenal show Swift put on was great, being able to share my daughter's joy is what made seeing the concert one of my best days too.