Who Am I?

Throughout the course of my life, my identity has changed. When I was small, I was Frank and Dot's little girl or Ted's sister. As I got older and ventured out into the world, going to college and then to the workaday world, I felt that I came into my own. My family was unknown to most of the people with whom I came in contact and I felt as if I was my own person. Then I had children. Again, I became known primarily for my position as Julie's mom or Dan's mother.

These days, since the kids are young adults, living away from home, I thought I had recaptured my identity, that is, until the other day when I met someone new at the neighborhood block party. The lady looked at me and said she thought she'd seen me before. I went through the list of ways she might know me--where I'd worked, where we'd gone to church, the things I like to do in town--until she figured it out. "You walk that funny jumping dog!"

So, that's who I am now. I'm The Mother of the Funny Jumping Dog.

It could be worse.