The “M” Word

Mommy

I had a professor in college who said that “Children are geniuses until they’re about five years old.” Makes sense. It takes a lot of brilliance to know knowing and learn how to talk and process information without teaching them. I’m convinced that children pick up on how somethings should be and in the case of Cydney know what she’s missing in life: mommy.

I’d about four months ago we were watching an episode if Dora the Explorer and in that one Dora and the gang were helping a dinosaur find her mommy. Ever since then she’s been saying “mommy.” At first you would think that its just sounds that children make but eventually it would be in context or during certain times she’s said it. I know that because sometimes I say “come here, mama” or “come here mami” but she never says either statement nor in context either.

Cydney says mommy a lot if times when she’s upset and I tell her no. Before the huge hissy fit comes she says it. The other time may be when she’s having a good time. Either way she doesn’t say it randomly. I’m sure she knows what a mommy is because of how much she’s seen it on tv. I think she knows she doesn’t have a mommy because none of the women close to her she calls mommy either. I think its nature in the same way right out of the womb a child knows how to drink from a breast they know who mommy and daddy are. As much as Cydney only called me daddy when she was trying to sweet talk me, we didn’t teach her to call me that.

Being the existential person I am and always thinking deeper her saying mommy makes me think of what she doesn’t have. More than not grow up with their mommies; the person who takes the most care of you, the sweet one who shows the most affection, and all that makes moms special my Cydney doesn’t have. I think about how awesome her mother would have been at being a mommy and how she’ll never know or remember. I think about that asshole kid who’s going to say something making fun of her not having one and how much that can hurt her feelings. I guess as a parent you look out for all the potential problems so you know how to deal when they get older or when things come up. I like to think I’m a nice guy who someone may want to marry and maybe she’ll have another person who can and will be a mother to her. Either way I know she’ll be fine because whether she’s with us or not I know Cydney’s mother is watching over her like a mommy somewhere… Maybe that’s why she says it.