She Calls Me "Mama"

Ever remember of those very first moments your child called you "Mama" not because it's a word she just learned to say, but because she knew you are her Mama? How was the feeling? Did it feel like your heart bursted? Or did it feel like you were floating on cloud nine?

It's been a week now that my daughter has been calling me "Mama" whenever she needs or wants something from me. "Mama" is no longer just a random word that comes out from her mouth as she continues to sharpen her vocabulary skills. "Mama" now means the woman whom she knows and feels nurtures her, comforts her, and lavishes her with so much love. My heart swells everytime she calls me "Mama." It's the sweetest word to my ear at this point in my life as a mother. It makes me feel vulnerable; vulnerable of the knowledge that "someone" loves me unconditionally. It melts my heart. At the same time it makes me stronger inside because this "someone" is totally dependent on me. For now, I am her rock. I am her everything.

It makes me wonder if would there ever come a time when "Mama" becomes a common word, a familiar name. A name frequently used that makes it become an ordinary name.  A name that is no longer as special as those first moments she called me her Mama. I hope not, for all I want is for that name to remain precious not only in my ears, but most of all here in my heart.

"Mama" is more than just a name. It is life. It is love.