Why It's Good Being Mama

I have been a teenager at heart since I was 8 years old, still am at 44, so when my kid's friends hit their teens and wanted to call me Mama Cousins (Cousins is our last name) sorry if you really thought my name was CosmicBus...anyway, I protested. It made me feel my age and like the little round Mama I truly was. No longer could I pretend to be just hanging out or "chillin with my homies." I have a heart for teens, maybe because my own adolescence was a litte rough and weird at times. I have been fortunate enought to work or volunteer as a youth leader, speaker, mentor and substitute high school teacher. It is not work for me, just joy at being what I hope is a good sounding board, and with three children of my own, we always have an "extra" at our house. The funny thing about the kids wanting to call me Mama was that we moved 4 states over and someone here started calling me that... it spread, I dare say I have at least 20 kids calling me Mama Cousins!

No longer do I see this nickname as something I don't want, I know who I am, and don't cling to the hope that I appear more youthful, or I am not truly a middle aged chubby little Mom who has traveled through normal up and downs of being a youth with my own children, along with some not so normal, due to the fact of being a military family. I chose to embrace Mama as a term of endearment and love to see and stay and touch with all of the youth I know, in fact 100 years from now when I die (yes, I plan to live until I am 144) I hope my headstone reads... Here lies Mama Cousins, a true friend. I know it's corny, but who doesn't like a little corn now and again?

One of our church friends who graduates high school this year, works at the local pharmacy, I always love to see her, because she hugs me and says "Hi Mama Cousins!" I had to laugh when she said she almost called me back to pharmacy as "Mama Cousins, your order is now ready." I admit it makes me feel really special and kind of famous for being me. I love it when I drop by my daughters high school and someone asks their teacher if they can come hug me or that a few of her friends say they want to meet me because they have heard about me. That is one of the many reasons why "It's good being Mama!"