What’s In A Name?

By Cheryl Ryan

Do you like your name?  If you had a chance to rename yourself would you? If so, what? I think it’s fair to say that I’ve never really loved my name. I didn’t hate it, but it just seemed kind of blah. 

But now I have the chance to name myself as a Grandma and I’m having a hard time. I can’t think of anything. So I’ve been checking out Grandma name options. My son-in-law likes Gigi. I wasn’t sure about that so I’ve been wearing Nana for a while and I’m still not sure.

We put so much stock into selecting a name.  But in the end, it’s about the person that bears the name. If it’s a person you love or admire you love the name.  And it works the other way too, especially if it’s a name from childhood that is attached to someone you had a bad experience with. That name is forever tainted. 

It just may turn out to be whatever my grandchildren end up calling me at that baby stage when they can’t pronounce whichever name I’ve selected.  That’s how my sister-in-law earned the name Gammie which is what her grandchildren called her while trying to call her Grandma.

I think I’ll just stick with Nana and spend more time trying to be a person who lives up to whichever name I’m given.