Who's Your Honey?

The following conversation took place in my car on Thursday while waiting for my mom to come out of Macy's...

Madison: Who is your honey Mommy?
Me: Daddy
Madison: Who is Mema's honey?
Me: Poppy
Madison: And Uncle Corey's honey is Aunt Michelle right?
Me: Yes Sweetie.
Madison: Well then who is Uncle Jimmy's?
Me: Uncle Joe
SILENCE....
Madison: But Mommy????
Me: Yes?
Madison: They are two mans. Don't they have girlfriends?????
Me: No sweetie not everyone has a girlfriend. Sometimes men have honeys that are other men and sometimes ladies have honeys that are other ladies?
Madison: Oh okay.
Me: Madison why do you call them honeys?
Madison: 'Cause that is what you call someone when you love them!

No big deal just a part of life or at least I thought so. Justin and I have several gay and lesbian friends and relatives so the topic just seemed matter of fact to me. If you remember it is also not the first time the topic of homosexuality has come up with Madison. Remember the book last spring? Anyway I told the story to my mom mostly because I thought the term "honeys" was hysterical and was amazed that Madison picked up on the fact that in our lives male/female relationships are the norm. Now don't go taking any offense to the term "norm" all I mean by that is that in our lives heterosexual couples are predominant.
I was surprised that my mother commended me for the way I handled the situation. Mostly because I didn't think there was a situation. She admitted to me that she would have just said Uncle Jimmy didn't have a "honey" in order to avoid the topic. Maybe it is a generation thing or maybe that my mom was raised in a strict catholic home and is first generation American. Whatever the case may be I was disappointed that she wouldn't have been open and honest if she were me. I know that conversations will get much deeper as the girls get older but I hope to remain a parent who addresses topics rather than brush them under the table. I'm just saying...