I Call Your Name

My son C is writing a letter to a player on the varsity basketball team via a pen pal program initiated by one of his teachers. His opening paragraph is about his name, what it means (faithful, in Hebrew), and why his parents chose it (named for great, great uncle).

This leads me to wonder if a good naming story is important. And if it is important - how import and is it? Does a good name story build you up and give you confidence while a haphazard one, a "Mommy and Daddy just liked the name," is  just downright dispiriting. 

Though I don't tap strangers on the shoulder and brag about it - I have a good good name story and when the occasion arises I parade it about. Even my sister, who was named after my grandfather, has a pretty good story - not as good as mine, but that's one of the many advantages of being first born.

All of my kids have name stories except one and of the three with name stories all three are different, it's not like all three were named after relatives or movie stars or Disney characters. or something One was named for a relative, one for a local whaling captain, and one for the son of a friend. Actually my fourth son does have a name story but it goes like this - "we needed a name that would sound good with the name we'd picked for your brother (they are twins)." 

A story like that might be even worse than having no story at all.

song: I Call Your Name • artist: The Beatles