My older kids once nicknamed me Big Mama way back when they were babysitting The Fat Boys. True story: these two little darling, chubby boys with rat tails, that odd style in the late 80s, stayed weekends at our house while their own mama went out a great deal. My girls, then nicknamed The Biggers by a younger son in our family, took turns babysitting The Fat Boys until they, The Biggers, were old enough to get real jobs. Later my own little boys, the last dozen sons, became The Bubbas, as it was easier to refer to that wild bunch as The Bubbas rather than yell out all their names individually for supper, not that we ever had to call anyone twice to come eat.

My kids told The Fat Boys to call me Big Mama and it kind of stuck on me, kinda fitted me in an odd kind of way as my family continued to grow. I’d hear an, “I love you, Big Mama!” as someone would throw their arms around my middle section and squeeze. Being the only Caucasian in the house, I always seemed very tall to everyone. Being loud helped as well, but as every single kid has grown tall they’ve noticed that I’m not as big as they once thought.

I’m tall but kind of skinny, boney is a better word to describe me, gangly and goofy but I thought I once read that in a mama job description. Whether I read it wrong or not, being goofy has helped in this very strange journey I’ve chosen. I’ve been a very young mama, starting at barely 19, now I’m a 53 year old mama with my youngest child starting Pre-K this fall and my oldest turning 34 years old. Add to that, nearly 16 grandchildren and I’m a big ole mama now and a happy Abuelita (Grandma).

I’ve been a career woman, I’ve been a wild woman (in my twenties), I’ve been a married woman, and I’ve been a very strong, liberated woman but I’ve learned that I truly prefer to be a mothering woman, this fits me; it suits me and daily challenges me, and I truly understand why I was called into the adoption of older children…although I have often shared my frustrations, my fits of anger, my challenges and, I hope, our joys.

I’d received a comment about this book, Big Mama, and I believe I’ll ask Grandpa to run to the library and check it out for us. I’ll read it to my grandbabies, like the darling one pictured here.