I was running errands today while my youngest was at school. I was rushing around trying to make sure I got everything done before the bus came and wasn’t really paying attention to my surroundings. As I was waiting in line at a store (which took forever!) from behind me, I heard a little voice call, “Mommy!”

Immediately, I spun around ready to grab my child from wherever she had fallen or gotten lost. Except, I didn’t have a child with me today. I laughed with the woman next to me and we joked about when it would be that we didn’t immediately jump when we heard “Mommy!”

Finally, I paid for my things and hustled out of the shop. While putting my things into the car (and talking on the cell phone) I saw my mother across the parking lot (a rather large strip mall). I shouted “mom!” and she immediately scanned the lot until she saw me.

Apparently, the power of the word mom transcends time and space. Once you become a mom, you will never again be able to ignore the summons. It’s almost like the Bat phone, once it rings, everything else stops in its tracks.

So, to all the moms out there, the bad news is, your knee jerk reaction will NEVER end. The good news is, you’re not alone.

Ari