"What's in a name? That which we call a rose by any other name would smell as sweet."

I come from the generation where the girl's names are Debbie, Nancy, Kathy, Laurie, Linda, Melissa, Becky, Cindy, Susan, Judy, Pam, Janet.... you get the idea. Names are a funny thing. When we were naming our older two children, we thought we were being so unusual. My son was born first in Dallas, and as we sat gazing at him in the nursery, we stood next to a couple who had been in our lamaze class. We asked what they had. A boy (just like us.) We asked what day. Yesterday (just like us.) We asked his first name. Same as us... We asked his middle name. Same as us! And, at the time, this name was very unusual. So much so, that at work, they asked, "Is that a family name?" in the tone that says 'yuck.' Two years later, my daughter was born, and again, we thought we were so unusual. When she went to a large Texas university, HALF the girls on her dorm hall had the same name. And I am NOT exaggerating... Evidently, the same happened with my parents in naming me. Yet with my older sister, she got the good name. The name that I've never heard anyone have my whole life. And no one EVER forgets her name. It's adorable. It has gotten her in doors. It has gotten her scholarship money. Her name alone really did help make her 'popular.' She was homecoming queen at our high school. It's a great name.

So, in naming my third child, I wasn't about to go with the norms. All the names we thought of are all of the names of the girls in her class at school. Names that seemed fairly unusual at the time, are all of her friends. They are cute names. They are sweet names. But they are still the same names as all the other girls. I finally found an unusual name that is still acceptable. Fortunately, no one ever forgets her name.

Mission accomplished...