Rushing back to my seat after a mid day break to visit my dentist, I spied this colleague who joined the company around the same time I did. We never really worked together but were loosely part of the same group. From shy smiles we transitioned to waves and talking about the weather over the years. One thing was a constant in our interactions, a huge wide grin.

The past few months the customary greeting changed to “Hey mom! How are you?” followed by silly banter. Watching him at the other end of the aisle, I expected him to say it and say it he did. I did not break my stride but my face had this loopy grin that comes from the familiarity and the routine.

There is something endearing about being addressed mom. 🙂