Over the years, I met several such kids who called their maids ma, mumma, mom etc. and several such mothers who ignored this blabbering. Again, I labelled all of them as mothers who weren't spending time with their kids and thus the kids likened the maid to be the mom.
Five years later, I am a mother. I have a kid who only speaks five words. Thankfully, one of them is Ma and another Mumma. When she first said Ma, I reacted with glee and was so proud to be addressed by my baby. Soon she called her Granny also Ma, followed by her father, her maid, her friends, my friends etc etc etc...everyone was Ma. I thought my story was better off since everyone was Ma and not only the maid.
Then one day she said the word Mumma. My happiness knew no bounds this time...i was overwhelmed, finally my kid was calling her mother mumma; complete with love and affection. Those two syllables of 'mu' 'ma' were sweet music to my ears and I reveled in my excitement. The excitement merely lasted two days and everyone became mumma now. The magical word was not only for me, it was her way of addressing the world.
I wish she knew what that small word uttered from her mouth means to me. If only my little one knew that I am the original 'mumma' 'ma' and everything else with M(even willing to be the maid for this). If only she knew the way my heart flutters in a crowd when I hear the word 'mumma' and how proud I am reacting to it. But for once I wish she says it only for me...
