The Mother's Day Blog

Those from whose wombs we came forth go by many titles. Mother's Day is Sunday so it is fitting that the subject of this blog be discussed now. The title which one infers on that maternal figure that shaped his or her life can speak volumes about the lady. Today, we consider some of these.

MOM - Yawn. This is the most generic and standard use by children young and old. However, one must ponder what caused 'Mother' to get shortened to such a lazy three letter reference to the woman held so dear by so many.

MOMS - This one crops up from time to time even when the speaker is not making reference to a mother's lesbian relationship or other situation that would yield more than one mother in a person's life. Moms in reference to one solitary mother is strange indeed.


MOMMA/MAMA - A few days ago friend called this title "redneckish". The image conjured in this friend's mind is a fat woman clad in a dirty apron. Perhap's Vicky Lawrence's role as Thelma Harper on the sitcom "Mama's Family" helped create this image. There is also the legendary country song, "Mommas Don't Let Your Babies Grow Up to Be Cowboys" that could have created this persona with the title. As a youngster, the is what I called my mother. I think I had taken to calling her "Mom" by Middle School though.









MOMMY - Among small children, such a term is adorable. Among adults and adolescents the title loses its charm. While there is no "cut off age", the use of mommy should be limited to those that have yet to lose all of their baby teeth.

MOTHER- Ah, what a dignified sounding way to address the female partner of the parental unit. Mothers addressed this way likely enjoy formal dinners with well dressed children most every evening. The spiffy looking children are no doubt the result of the tireless work of their nanny who will also help them with homework, keep them entertained through the day and read them a bedtime story.

MAMMY- Oh dear, I believe this one has not been politically correct in a few years. The title conjures images of an overweight African American woman clad in a print dress and apron with a kerchief on her head. I believe the term was even used in cartoons of the early-mid 20th Century. Let's hope that the term and the negative connotations that go with it continue to disappear from today's culture.




MUM/MUMMY - Very drab and British sounding, this term is not used much in the United States. Perhaps the Europeans are more cultured than Americans, but at least when referencing our mothers, there is not risk of her being confused with a well wrapped corpse that is thousands of years old.

MA- To me, this terms sounds even more "redneckish" than Momma. However, it seems to be used more in the northern United States than down south. It seems to lack any level of adoration or affection. Perhaps it's two letter length gives it an air of too much familiarity or maybe even a air of laziness of one too lethargic to say mom, momma, mother, moms, mammy, mum or mummy.

As Mother's Day approaches, there is no doubt you have your own thoughts on the titles bestowed upon your mother or perhaps by your children. Please share your thoughts with us!