I saw the name writing prompt, read some other responses, and then a lightbulb must have appeared over my head and was a bright as the North Star would have been.
I remember my mom telling me what my name was going to be: Willamena Josephine. I’ll give you three guesses as to what my dad’s name was and the first two guesses don’t count.
Thankfully, that name was changed. It just wasn’t meant to be my name. However, it turns out, I was named after my father’s only sister, one whom I would never meet. She passed away in her early 20s. The name I was given means strength, victor, honor, and success. I think strength and honor are the parts of my name that I align with most. Now, for those of you who go and Google those attributes for a girl’s name, “Lynn” won’t appear. Lynn is my writing pseudonym.
What this name writing prompt had me thinking about was my own children and grandchildren. One of my son’s carries his uncle’s name as his middle name. His uncle passed away when he was in his 30s. I was pregnant at the time.
My next son, carries the name of a childhood friend, who was like a brother to me (I only have sisters). My friend lost his life in a motorcycle accident at the age of 21. He had no children, and my son was his first namesake. When I learned I was having a boy, there wasn’t another name I would consider.
Lastly, my first grandchild was named after my sister. The same sister that I originally started this page for. While my sister’s name was Kathryn, she always went by Kathi. My oldest son had fond memories of her and when it was time to name his daughter, she was named, Katie, in honor of my sister. Katie and I share a bond that we were both named for our aunts and who passed before we were born.
I loved reading some of the blogs on how people received their names. They were really interesting. It appears in my family we keep the memories of our loved ones by having subsequent generations carry those names with them.
The Pink Herald 