Put Them All Together They Spell Mother

I've been thinking about all the names we have throughout our lives.

I was named Kathrine, which was wrong from the start. I was named after my grandmother KathErine, but my Daddy spelled it wrong on the birth certificate. (I figured I wouldn't suffer alone, so I spelled it wrong on my daughter's birth certificate, too.) Right from the get-go, they called me Kathi. Yes, that would be my Mother's fault for spelling it weird.

Since then, I've been called Kah-kee (rhymes with tacky), Kie-Kie, Sis, Tattoo (no, I don't), Harpo, Kat, Boss, Shirley Temple, and most importantly, Mama.

There is also a long list of what you can call that female parent: Mother, Mama, Ma, Mom, Mommy, Mum, Mummy, Mums and all the stuff you called her behind her back growing up.

I am Mama. Except, when my daughter got old enough to write, she told me in no uncertain terms  I was Momma. So whenever I sign a note or card to her, I sign it Momma.

But it's still Mama in my head.

In Middle School, my daughter decide she would start calling me Mom. I told her in no uncertain terms if she wanted me to answer her, I was Mama. (Mom is so, well, so Yankee). It took maybe three times and she saw I meant business, so back to Mama it was.

I call mine Mother. Why so formal you ask? Well, until I was eleven years old, my great-grandmother was still living. She was Mama Hill, usually shortened to Mama. I also had a Mama Harper. The other grand was Granny Kate.

The more observant of you may be saying, "Wait! I thought her married  name was Hill. And her grandmother before marriage was a Hill?  Hmmmmm...." Not to worry. My husband is from another county (there's a whole 'nuther one between us!). His father, JT Hill, (no name, just JT. He said they musta run outta names before he came along) and I had a long talk one evening. We decided that we were, indeed, related, probably about three generations back before he was born in 1915. So, you can stop worrying about our daughter's health.

She's adopted anyway.

I'd be interested in  hearing from some of you, sharing what strange and/or beautiful nick names you've been blessed with during your lifetime.

Signed,

Ma   Momma