Mother, Mommy, Mom, Momma

I make no secret of the fact that I'm a transplanted southerner. I was bred, born, and raised in the Arkansas Delta region. Not an area most people go to on vacation and an area most people flee as soon as they turn 18. Sadly it's an area in decline and that area of the U.S. will soon forever be changed from the one I grew up in. Generally I don't really mourn southern "isms". I do miss certain foods. REAL bbq is hard to come by in Wisconsin, decent catfish is as well. I haven't had green tomato relish in years and years and there is something to be said for the unwritten rule that nothing is scheduled on Wednesday nights or Sundays (though that is fading fast as well)

Perhaps the thing I miss most is Momma. No, not my actual Momma, though it would be nice if she were closer. I miss the fact that people have Mommas. Down south the woman that gave birth to you (or adopted you) is your Momma. Not mother, not Mom. Occasionally a young child may call her Mommy, but that usually morphs to Momma by age five or six. Momma is used in conversations by 45 year old men " I called Momma yesterday and she told me that Sissy is going to have another baby." Momma is used by children to address their mother " Momma, may I have a cookie please?" I used the term Momma freely, like my peers until I went to college and it was pointed out to me. I became self conscience of it and started saying things like "my Mom". Hubby, who was raised just about as far north as you can get has probably never uttered "Momma" in his life.

I mourn this. My children don't call me Momma. I am Mommy or Mom. I refer to myself as Momma but it doesn't really catch on. I guess that part of my southerness is gone along with the fact my children will pronounce "fire" and not "far" and will change flats on a "tire" and not "tar". I have taught them some useful southern phrases of which I am proud. Fixin' to, and ya'll are common in their vocabulary so at least I'm doing a few thing right.