Thanks, Ma'am

I remember the day, as if it was yesterday. The day I turned from "Miss" to "Ma'am". It was only a word, but it meant that I was entering a new phase of life. We use the word, "Miss", when we address a young lady, whom we do not know. The word "Ma'am" is reserved for the more mature woman. It happened to me, in Modells department store. I was with my son and I was about 24 years old. When I heard the salesperson say "Ma'am", for a minute, I did not know who he was talking to. After a moment, I realized it was me. In a split second, I had moved on in life. I was no longer viewed as a young person. I was now an older one. Last night, I was in the supermarket with my daughter-in-law. She is in her late twenties, but looks like a teenager. The boy gathering up the shopping carts, wanted her to leave her cart where it was. He called out to her, "Ma'am, you can leave it there". To me she is still a kid. To him, she is an adult. She entered the new phase of her life, and probably never even realized it.