Monosyllabic

Written on February 21, 2010 by Stephanie

It just dawned on me the other day how much dumber I have become since being a mom. Don’t get me wrong – I can quote you the names of the best baby foods, the prices on diapers each week, and the pros of breastfeeding past one year of age, all without breaking a sweat or taking a breath. [inhale!] But, I cannot manage to remember all those wonderful words I used to know. I know there’s a song about that.. and I’ve forgotten it, too.

I was in Bible study discussing how Abraham left his home land and had to travel to a new land for most of his life. I told my group, “I love the allusion.. no, the illustrious… no, the allegory? NO! What is that word?” So I went on and didn’t use the word, but conveyed that I loved how Abraham had to trust God even in the midst of having to leave all the people he knew and trusted, and sought a world beyond this world – a heavenly world – as his ultimate home. One sweet lady in her 80s, sharp as a tack, completely broke all my viewpoints of losing memory as you grow older when she spoke up and said, “You mean ‘illustration’, dear.” Oh. Yeah. Silly me, I thought illustrations were pictures in kids’ books, because that seems to be All I Know right now.

Do any of you know what I mean? All day I hear these words: “Mom.Dad.No.Yes.Mine.That.

Please.More.Drink.Dog.Book.Eat.Don’t.Stop.Come. HERE. NOW!!” And I’m sure there are more, but I can’t remember them. I haven’t had to use intelligible words in a very long time. I’m growing my life in one area and being dumbed down in another. [Is "dumbed" even a word? Never mind.]

And let’s just get past the fact that the word “mon-o-syl-la-bic”.. means one syllable. *Groan.*

jenna blogs at kevinandjenna[dot]com and wouldn’t trade being a mom for all the smarts in the world.