What's In A Name?

 

{One evening in September on Kiawah Island, SC}

"Mom?"

"Yes, Eliza Grace?"

"I have something I'd like to speak to you about."

Uh oh, I thought.  This sounded serious.  Of course Eliza Grace almost always sounds fairly serious.  Like 10 going on 50 serious.  

"Alrighty," I said. "What's up?"

"Well, I hate to say this but...when I'm out in public I find it a bit embarrassing when I call Grandmommy 'Grandmommy'."

"Okay," I said.  Grandmommy is what most of my Mother's grandchildren call her.

"It's just that I think I'm just a little too old to be calling her something so little kid-ish. So I wanted to know if I could call her something else."

I worked hard to keep my face serious and not smile, because, for goodness sake, the kid is just so darn cute.

"I think that would be okay," I said. "What did you have in mind?  Grandmom? Grammy? Something like that?  You already know that she does not like 'Grandma' or 'Granny' at all."

"Well, I think that I would prefer to call her Grandmother."

"Yes," I said with a smile, "that does sound more like you.  I'm sure she'd be okay with that but you might want to ask her just to be sure."

"Okay, I will. But just so you know, I'll still call her Grandmommy when we're, you know, around family, because that is what she is used to."

"Okay, sweetie.  Sounds like a plan."

{Two minutes later}

"Hey Mommy," said Will as he pulled me a little to the side and leaned close to my ear.

"Yes, sweetie?"

"I'll still call her Grandmommy, though.  Okay?"

"Yes, sweetie.  You can call her that as long as you like."