The Evolution of a Grandma

Photo credit: Chuck Bennorth

Once upon a time, a precious, little boy was born, and his parents introduced me to him as Grandma Denise. Over time, that baby boy learned to talk, and I became Gramma. Now that CJ is three, he has his own ideas about how things should be.

Photo credit: Chuck Bennorth

My grandmothers were called Grammy and Grandma; pretty traditional names in my world. For a brief period of time, I considered what I would want to be called as a grandmother. Sierra had a boyfriend in high school who called me Mama Dee, and I smiled every time I thought about future grandchildren calling me that. Mama Dee has a southern flavor, and I like that.

Photo credit: Chuck Bennorth

I knew childhood friends whose grandmothers were Meemaw, Big Mama, Grandma Nana, and Granny. Some of my relatives and friends have grandmother names of their own now; Omma, Oma, Yia Yia, and Gigi. Maybe I would always just be Grandma.

Photo credit: Chuck Bennorth

Guess what? We can ask children to call us whatever we want, but more often than not, they will call us whatever they want, and most of us will love it because it will become our special name, given to us by those precious children we call our grandbabies.

Photo credit: Chuck Bennorth

Just recently, we were able to spend a week with CJ and his new baby sister Aly. When we arrived, CJ called us Grandpa and Grandma Pa. How cute is that? I loved it. I was hashtagging pictures right and left on Instagram #grandmapa and #grandmapaparazzi. Yeah. It was perfect. 

Photo credit: Chuck Bennorth

The next morning, my pet name had changed to Grandma POO. I laughed. "Grandma Poo? You mean Grandma Pa?" I asked. 

"No!" CJ smiled with a twinkle in his eye. "Grandma Poo!"

So let it be written. So let it be said. I shall now be known as Grandma Poo. Well, that will be my name until CJ decides to call me something else. And I will love whatever he decides because it will be the name given to me by a child I love very much.