It used to be fun to jokingly reply ya mama when my mom asked from
another room who was in the kitchen or teased me about anything and
now it's not fun to say it nor I imagine is it easy for her to
hear it. It just reminds us both that my grandmom, her mom,
isn't here anymore. When I said it in the past it was silly but
it was also a nice reminder that she was alive, well, and my mom
could jokingly threaten to tell her that I was talking bad about
her. Talking about her isn't a taboo in the house now, of
course, we mention her all the time. But in this instance, it feels
wrong. I've avoided using the phrase at all for the last two
months, but today it slipped out, and there was silence afterwards.
I felt bad that I'd said it aloud, and my mom had nothing to
retort. She was in another room, and I could picture her sitting
there letting my words hit her.... God, how I wish there was any
truth left to it. That any little noise or minor mishap really was
''ya mama''.