Her name was Ruth, but I called her mother. I was reminded by my friend’s daughter, Willa, how ‘mommy’ gets to be our name. Willa is four years old and wanted to show me how she could write her name, W-I-L-L-A. Next, we wrote my name, J-U-L-I-E. Who is next, I asked? ‘Mommy’ she said. I began to spell L-Y-N-N,  but Willa was already busy writing M-O-M-M-Y. To me she is Lynn, but to Willa, she will always be Mommy. My sons call me Mom, MaMa, and Mother, and I unconsiously answer to all three. They are the only one’s in the whole world that will ever call me that. It is my favorite name.