Authority

I was sitting down at my computer,

when my youngest son, Max

climbed next to me on the couch.

“I know a poem, Mom” he said.

and he proceeded to sing Ms. Mary Mack

with hand motions and all.

Zoe taught it to me, he admitted.

I am still impressed.

I first noticed that my authority

In Max’s eyes, was subordinate

to that of his older brother and sister

about a year or so ago, when Max

was 4 or 5. I was explaining something

to him- I cant quite recall what,

but something basic like, two plus

two is four and Max looked at me

with firm confidence and said “no,

mommy it’s not”. And I said yes, Max

it is, until I saw we were heading into

a loop I wouldn’t win. So I asked him

why he thinks that and he said quite

matter-of-factly, “because Sam and Zoe

telled me”. And there it was- he had it

on higher authority. Barely half a decade

in and I had been dethroned.  I was prepared

to accept my diminished stature given the

two venerable minds that ranked

ahead of me, until Max started Kindergarten

this year, and I dropped once again-

this time behind his delightful teacher, Judy.

It was February 9, the day before Max’s 6^th birthday

and I asked him if he was excited. Max replied

“My birthday is on February 11 this year, Mom.“

No Max, I said, you were born on February 10

And so your birthday is always on that day-

We celebrate the very day you came into the world.

But Max was adamant. He said “Mom, Judy said

that on your birthday each year, it goes up one number.”

I tried logic and reason and nothing swayed Max.

Finally I suggested he ask Judy whether it is

his age or his birth-date that goes up one number.

And I sat down to write a poem.