Earlier in the summer, Tony's folks took a trip to parts of Germany, Hungary and the Czech Republic. While in Germany, they snapped this shot of a mural of St. Sebastian in a Passau church.
And it got me thinking: I've got a couple of pics from our travels (and the grandparents's) where we spotted our kids's names!
Like...Villa Gabriella in Formia, Italy...from our family trip in 2013.
Lithos at Nikola's -- a small jewelry shop in Mykonos, Greece. (Sam's middle name is Nicholas.)
And wait? Krebs-Gasse Street in Germany? My parents's friend spotted this one recently!
I mean...who doesn't love names? Most people love or hate their own; enjoy talking about the history of their first, middle and last names; and painstakingly work to pick just the right name for their children. Truth be told, when I was pregnant with Sebastian (with Sammy and Brie, we pretty much knew their names already since they were named after great-grandparents), I read countless lists of names...most popular (in multiple countries), hipster babies, names your grandmother will approve of, etc. etc.! What was surprising to me was how I could read through a list of 200 names and barely like a single one. Or...I would see a name like Samson and think, "That's it! I love the sound of Samson!" and then have to remind myself that I already have a Samuel. I guess that's not entirely a coincidence, right??
A recent list of the "Twenty-three perfect baby names for parents who love food" cited Brie as #1. Well, that's accurate (Tony and I love both food and a variety of French cheeses)! Last year, a list of "Naughty or Nice" children's names was published in the UK...and we learned that Samuel made the naughty list. I'm afraid that I cannot argue with that... ;-)
Tony and I went to a wine tasting in the spring and met a nice couple with a newborn named Stephanie! There were a lot of Stephanies growing up (and it's no secret that another girl in my high school (and college!) shared my first AND last name), but I couldn't tell you the last time I met someone under the age of 25 named Stephanie. The same goes for Jennifer! I'm certain, however, that one day there will be a new crop of Stephanies and Jennifers that will bring to mind all the Grammy Stephanies and Great-Grandma Jennifers who preceded them.
My mom said Hannah was quite unusual when she was growing up, but our kids have many friends with the name. This makes me look forward to seeing all of the names that will make comebacks in the next decades. You never know what will be hot...pretty fascinating!
And what about my friend's sister when we were in college? She didn't love her traditional Hebrew name, so she went by Britney for a few years. At that time, I could see why she was looking for something that distinguished her a bit less from the pack, but my hunch is that she's since embraced her name for it's meaning and uniqueness. After all, names grow and evolve with us, don't they?
We have friends who have used traditionally male names for their daughters, resurrected old family surnames as first names (only to fight over which sibling gets to use them), and plucked a few names right out of blockbuster movies. We even know a couple whose kids's names are eerily simlar to ours...hmmm...
Have you ever stopped to think hard about your name? Whether you're satisfied with what your folks chose for you? Did you ever wish it was something else? And do you still? Does it make you feel like an individual...or just another face in the crowd? Or both depending on the circumstance? Maybe you think your name is too short or too long? Do you use your full name at certain times and a nickname at others? Have you ever felt that awkwardness that comes with someone you barely know calling you by your nickname that only lifelong friends use? And, if you have kids, did you not only labor over their delivery, but also over the choosing of their names? Names are a really big deal and I venture to say that they always will be. I love discussing them, so if you do, too...let me know and we can chat over email or at the next get-together. If you see me, just say my name!
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