There are a lot of titles a woman can collect over the course of her life.

Some are given at work. Some come from education. Some come from marriage. Some are the polite ones people tack on before your name when they’re trying to be respectful.

But if you ask me what title means the most… it’s the one I hear yelled across the house twenty times a day…“Mom!”

Now don’t get me wrong, being called Mom is my finest title. It’s also the hardest earned. There are no performance reviews for motherhood, but if there were, mine would include things like surviving sleepless nights, mastering the art of cooking dinner while helping with homework, and developing the ability to locate missing shoes, chargers and stuffed animals with the skill level of a trained detective. (But seriously they are always in plain sight…)

Motherhood is equal parts chaos and holy responsibility. It’s raising tiny humans who eventually grow into people who make their own decisions, form their own opinions and occasionally remind you that they now know (or think they know) more than you.

But somewhere along the way, I discovered something surprising. There’s another title that ranks very high on my personal list. And that title… is Aunt.

Now listen, being an aunt is a special kind of privilege…

As a mom, I’m responsible for the rules, the discipline, the bedtimes, the vegetables and the life lessons. As an aunt? I get to show up with snacks, hugs, encouragement and just enough mischief to keep things interesting.

Being an aunt means loving someone fiercely without carrying the daily weight of raising them. It means cheering them on from the sidelines, bragging about them like they’re your own and watching their personalities unfold in the most beautiful ways.

You get the honor of being part of their story without being the one who has to enforce bedtime. And if we’re being honest… that’s a pretty sweet deal.

But what I love most about being an aunt is the relationship itself. It’s different from motherhood. It’s a little more relaxed, a little more playful, but the love runs just as deep.

An aunt gets to be a safe place. A cheerleader. Sometimes even a secret keeper. You’re someone they can run to for advice, encouragement, or just someone who will laugh with them when life gets messy.

And the best part? You get to watch them grow.

You see pieces of the family in them… little expressions, little habits, little moments that remind you where they came from. You get to stand back and think, Wow… this family keeps growing!!!! 

Motherhood may be my greatest responsibility, but being an aunt feels like a gift layered on top of it.

It’s the title that reminds me that family doesn’t just expand through our own children, it grows through nieces and nephews who steal your heart and somehow convince you that you absolutely need to buy them ice cream before dinner.

And while “Mom” will always be the title that defines my life… “Aunt” is the one that reminds me just how lucky I am. 

I will love you to the end of this world and beyond Dawson, Kason, Rylee, Ty, Mila and Olivia!

(Paige Gurgainers is a mom of three girls, digital journalist for Webster Parish Journal.)