Here is why I am Macooo

I didn’t really want to be called “grand ma” or “Mamie”. My mother didn’t like it either, and her first grand son who couldn’t pronounce “Bonne maman” came up with “Boumba” and it stuck like honey to my mother… everyone adopted the name: grandkids, family and friends. She is now almost 94 and has been wearing the name proudly for the last 40 years. Some of us have even given her the nickname “Boobsie”…

I also wanted my grandkids to come up with an original name for me; especially when Ronan, the oldest grandchild at the sweet age of 2 baptized my husband Papa Toad when he was trying to say Papa Claude. That name has stuck and now everyone calls Claude “Papa Toad”. This grandma felt left out not to have a special name like that!

My kids call me mom, but I have pretty well adopted all my nieces and nephews as my own children. Two of them lost their mom (my sister) when they were very young and two of them had parents who didn’t want to join the “Anglophone” part of the family. Since the children, unhindered by obtuse vision wanted to be part of the cousin’s clan regardless of the language, my sister and I adopted them in the group so they could have crazy week-ends and holidays with the rest of their cousins. When my sister died, my mother and I kept the idea alive; they have always formed an inseparable group; even now in their late thirties.

I have always felt very close to all of them, very protective of them, and I have made myself available to them if they needed to talk or wanted to share their joys or struggles. As time went by I felt like a friend, an aunt, an adoptive mom to them all. Therefore I started to sign my letters and messages, with Mama Cool: a neutral title reflecting the way I saw myself fitting in with them. Ready for anything fun; always ready for a party but always available should they need to share their thoughts and feelings with a mother figure.

Finally Ardan, when he was about 2 came up with Macooo since he couldn’t say Mama Cool.  It has such a sweetness about it when he says it, just like when Ronan says Papa Toad.

I wanted to share one of the pleasures of being a grandmother.

Cheers, Macooo