Yesterday I had the privilege of leading a babynaming ritual for a new baby girl. It got me thinking about the names we call ourselves, and the names we are called, and how they resonate (or not) with who we really are. Think for a moment about names we are given by people who love us, like Junior, Boo, or Honey Bunny. Or unkind names hurled at us like hateful barbs, like Stupid, Fatso or Sissy. The names we call ourselves are also equally powerful, and our names may as we grow and evolve over time.
My colleague Tara Mohr just wrote about this today on her blog as well–wonder what's in the air right now…
Really?
Each of Us Has a Name
By Zelda
Each of us has a name
given by God
and given by our parents
Each of us has a name
given by our stature and our smile
and given by what we wear
Each of us has a name
given by the mountains
and given by our walls
Each of us has a name
given by the stars
and given by our neighbors
Each of us has a name
given by our sins
and given by our longing
Each of us has a name
given by our enemies
and given by our love
Each of us has a name
given by our celebrations
and given by our work
Each of us has a name
given by the seasons
and given by our blindness
Each of us has a name
given by the sea
and given by
our death.
Translated by Marcia Falk