It's Only a Number

I knew this day would come.

It all started many, many years ago when I was 17 and our family was on vacation. We were seated in a restaurant when the waitress asked me if I'd like a Kiddie menu--y'know the ones reserved for the 12 & under crew. "No," I told her, "I'm seventeen!" She apologized & I remember feeling very insulted. What seventeen year old girl wants to be told she looked twelve or UNDER?! My dad reassured me that some day I would be glad to have someone make that mistake and even take it as a complement. I snorted, feeling like that would never be the case.

Fast forward more than 25 years to today, my sweet victory. I took Brian, my very soon to be 20 year old son, to a foot specialist. As the doc turned to me to explain the diagnosis he stopped and said "Are you his....." "mother?" I supplied, "yes, I'm his mother." "Okay," he went on, "I wasn't sure cause you look so young." Mind you, this doc was probably only about 5 years older than me. Not some old guy thinking everyone looks younger than they really are, but someone of my generation.

As we were walking out, Brian said "gosh, what'd he think, you're my big sister?" "hmmm, I guess," I said, "either that or an older girlfriend." We both laughed and I knew no matter how weird I've felt about my upcoming birthday and being definitely "middle-aged", today I think I'll be ordering from the kiddie menu.