Ellen Freeman Roth

Ellen Freeman Roth is a writer whose work has been published internationally. In her intimate essays mined from her daily life, she finds poignance, insights, and humor in how we manage the subtext of contemporary life.

She writes articles about lifestyles and trends, and people and ideas.

Terms of endearment

by Ellen Freeman Roth

“Love you” was my daughter’s sign-off, a confection she bestowed on me before hanging up or waving goodbye. So sweet, I thought, that between logarithms and diving practice, my 17-year-old had brimming affection just for dear old mom. But then something caught my ear. “Bye, Victoria. Love you,” I heard Maddie say one day. She’s that close with Victoria? Soon I heard it again. “See you, Dara. Love you.” And again. “Later, Claire. Love you.” Apparently Maddie wasn’t sharing some precious comfit with her cherished mother but pouring liberally from a jumbo bag. Did such endearments so freely dispensed mean anything? Surely at her age I had reserved “love you” for people who would remain fixtures throughout my life. Yet “love you” seemed to be Maddie’s rubber stamp for everyone but the postman.