"MOM"

I've been called "mom" for nearly 7 years now. Its been an every-day part of my life... "Mom, can I...? Mom, where's my...? Mom, will you...?" I've heard it a million times and said it a million more. Its nothing new. It's part of who I am... who I'll always be from now on.

On Saturday while lounging around the house, Emma called me mom like she has a so many times before. I think it was the way she said it, with a more mature "big girl" tone, not a "kid" tone. For some reason I had to think about it for a minute. I did a double take as I thought, Is she talking to me? I'm "Mom" to that big girl? That sounds so weird!

What? Why was this such a shock? I don't know what got into me. It just sounded so strange. I couldn't believe that was me. Like I said, nearly seven years I have proudly carried this title. But for the first time, it really hit me on Saturday how old my girls where actually getting. Why did it take so long to realize this?

All of a sudden, I felt really old! Why would that one little word that I've been called so many times make me feel so old? It was as if it was the first time I had ever been called "Mom". I've been called so many things... friend, daughter, sister, wife, boss, student, photographer, waitress, the list goes on. I've even been called Ma'am a time or two. Yet I've never felt as strange (or old) as I did with that label that was stuck on me by my own daughter.

When did it become my identity? When did I drop all those other labels and stick the "Hello, my name is MOM" sticker on my shirt? It seems like that's all that I am these days. Don't get me wrong, I cherish that title and I cherish the little ones that call me that every day. I would rather have that title than any other. I just can't believe how fast it goes and how much it consumes every aspect of my life.