What's In A Name ?

Growing up with an unusual name hasn't been easy . All during my childhood , I wanted to be an Anne or a Mary or a Susan , anything but a Lottie . I felt like I was the only one who had that name in the whole wide world . It wasn't until I became an adult that I found out just how wrong I was .

My dad named me . It seems that both my parents had their choice of a name picked out and couldn't agree . After my birth , my mom was sleeping and dad took the opportunity to fill out the necessary paperwork without her knowing . It was a huge shock to her when she found out what he did upon waking .

When I was little and we lived in Poland , my mom couldn't bring herself to call me by my given name . Her choice would have been Elizabeth , so when we were alone , that's what she called me .

You see , Lottie is the name I have here in this country , but in Poland , my name is Wladyslawa the female version of my dad's . When we came here , they Americanized my name and I became Lottie . Mom loved it  and from that day on , she always called me by it .

It's funny how much emphasis we give to a name . Parents-to-be pour over name meanings so their child will be smarter , more popular and more beautiful than any other . Nowadays , the more unusual the better . I should have been born now . I would have fit in at school much better than I did .

Now , I look back and wonder what all the fuzz was about regarding my name . I like who I am now , I'm forgiving myself for who I was and I'm going to love who I will become  . I wonder if my parents saw all that when they named me ?

Have a Blessed day everyone .