“YOU’RE NOT A LADY…YOU’RE A MOTHER”

From the mouth of my 4 year old, these words came to me. To be honest I didn’t know whether I wanted to take this as a compliment or an insult.

I was on the computer cruising my favorite online clothing stores when my youngest came into my room. After changing my television station and doing a couple of flips on my bed he comes over to me and asks what was I doing.

I responded, “nothing really, I’m just cruising around online looking for some nice clothes”.

He says, “Oh…Ok”. And proceeds to stand at my side and watch as I go from page to page… outfit to outfit secretly wishing that I could afford to purchase everything that I had just added to my wish list.

Just as I was about to give up my search and venture into something else, he says in a surprised voice, “Hey…those are ladies on those pictures!”

I said, “Yes they are…they are ladies just like Mommy.”

AND THEN…In his most authoritative voice, he corrects me by saying, “You’re not a Lady…You’re a Mother!”

Stunned I sat there and looked at this little person. I didn’t know how to take accept this statement. I wasn’t sure if I was offended or complimented. My little bundle of joy just walloped me with a whopper.

Wasn’t a Mother a Lady? A Woman? Wasn’t I as pretty as those women modeling the clothes? Did this little one know something I did not? Did the teacher at Pre-K give him the secret answer to all things Mommy?

I was so bothered by this statement that I had to go and look up the definition for the term lady.

Here is what I found…



n., pl., -dies.

     1. A well-mannered and considerate woman with high standards of proper behavior.

     2.

          a. A woman regarded as proper and virtuous.

          b. A well-behaved young girl.

     3. A woman who is the head of a household.

     4. A woman, especially when spoken of or to in a polite way.

     5.

          a. A woman to whom a man is romantically attached.

          b. Informal. A wife.

     6. Lady Chiefly British. A general feminine title of nobility and other rank, specifically:

          a. Used as the title for the wife or widow of a knight or baronet.

          b. Used as a form of address for a marchioness, countess, viscountess, baroness, or baronetess.
 
          c. Used as a form of address for the wife or widow of a baron.

          d. Used as a courtesy title for the daughter of a duke, a marquis, or an earl.

          e. Used as a courtesy title for the wife of a younger son of a duke or marquis.

     7. Lady The Virgin Mary. Usually used with Our.

     8. Slang. Cocaine.

Hmmmm….