Hey, Ma! Come here, please!

If I had a nickel for every time my youngest daughter, Cassie, has yelled out those 5 words, I'd be a rich woman!  "Hey, Ma!  Come here, please!"  She wore me out with those words!  Actually, the words themselves were not the problem - it was the timing.  After a long, exhausting day, supper done, dishes washed, kids bathed and in bed, finally plopping down next to my hubby on the couch to relax for the evening  . . . .  "Hey, Ma!  Come here, please!"   

More often than not, it was just a stall tactic - "I'm thirsty", "I'm scared", "I've got to go potty" - anything to avoid closing her eyes.  I'd get her a drink, turn on the closet light, or let her use the potty and tuck her snugly back in bed.  Back to the living room.  Plop down next to my hubby . . . . "Hey, Ma!  Come here, please!" 

You have got to be kidding me! 

As the years went by, the reasons for her call began to change.  She began to share hurt feelings, funny stories about her day, and questions about religion, boys and the meaning of life.  Secrets were shared in the quietness and darkness of night.  "Hey, Ma!  Come here please!"  became a call I loved to hear.  I cherished those sweet conversations with my baby girl.

As she moved into the teenage years, these moments became even more special to me.  I realized I was blessed that she wanted to talk to me at all - let alone share intimate conversations.  All I heard from other moms of teenage girls were tales of raging hormones, snippy attitudes, and shouts of  "Mother, puh-lease!"  One friend even told me her daughter insisted on being dropped off a block from school so that she wouldn't be seen being dropped off by her mom!  Spending time with your mom was definitely considered "uncool" - and Cassie and I laughed and talked with each other every day.  Of course, we had our share of mother/daughter drama.  I don't think you can live in the same house as a teenage girl and not get caught in her crossfire from time to time!  I'm also not naive enough to believe that she told me everything that was going on in her life.  In fact, I'm quite certain there were things I didn't know - and am glad I didn't know - at the time!  But those 5 little words "Hey, Ma!  Come here, please!" were still called out at night every now and then.  We still shared stories and secrets and made it through the teen years in good shape.

These days, she's a busy working woman, her weekends are spent going out with friends, and I'm often in bed long before she gets home.  The calls of "Hey, Ma!  Come here, please!" are few and far between . . . but they still come every once in awhile.  She still wants to tell me about her day, still wants to ask my opinion.  I hope that never ends.  I hope someday when she's married and has kids of her own, she will call me at the end of her day to tell me a funny story or ask me a question about raising kids or making meatloaf.  And we'll have a sweet conversation until interupted by one of my grandbabies calling out to her, "Hey, Ma!  Come here please!"