PART ONE IN THE MEMORIES FOR MY LOVED ONES SERIES

Names are powerful, for they tell us how others see us. We are born with a given name by our family, but along the way, we accumulate a whole list of descriptors that uncover our personalities, quirks, and characteristics.

We may start off as a daughter or son, but over time we may become a sibling, a parent, or a grandparent.

In school and work, we may be labeled as a student or teacher, a clerk or a boss. We may work hard for a degree that gives us the right to be called “Doctor,” or we may win an award that says we are the “Person of the Year.”

At each stage of life, names denote our position in life and the nature of our relationship with others. Because they are so important, we may find ourselves defending the name we see as the one that best defines who we are.

The topic of Names is a great place to start telling your life story. Which of the names that you have been called have had the most influence on you? How have these changed over the years? Which ones affirmed you? Which ones do you wish you never heard? Each name is important, for they are the building blocks of your identity.

You are blessed if you have many names; some are formal, and others are informal. Some were given as a tease or given as a sign of affection. Each name captures something about you.  Your names illuminate the true you.

Craig Kennet Miller
Memories For My Loved Ones: Names

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