November 11, 2006 ~ Names and Nicknames
Saturday.
" How did you and Morgan decide upon Grove's name? I've wondered if it has something to do with your entry regarding the talk you and Morgan had, and how you decided to try for a baby while in a grove of flowers. Or does it have some other significance?" ~ Kate
Yes, we decided to start trying for a child in a grove of trees--rhododendron and mountain laurels--at Graveyard Fields, and it is for that grove that Grove was named. Had he been a girl, we would most likely have used the name "Laurel." From the letter to Grove heading the birth story:
Over two years ago, your father and I took a late-afternoon drive up the Blue Ridge Parkway. As sunset neared, we stopped at Graveyard Fields. It was late autumn, and the valley surrounding the waterfalls was tall dry grass as far as we could see. We were happy, and your father took my hand as we went off the trail and explored the valley. Strange underground streams burbled under our feet, and icy drafts rose from them. We made our way to a grove of rhododendrons and mountain laurels, and there we decided with few words but many caresses that we were ready to meet you. The sun fell behind the mountains, Venus came out, and we started down a long road that would eventually lead to you.
It was a year and a half before you finally came to us, so the seed planted in that grove was not tangible nor physical. It was a seed of hope, however, a seed of faith and striving and surrendering to destiny. And it is the hope and love that we shared in that grove for which you were named. You were desperately wanted and greatly loved long before you ever came to be.
What a tricky business, naming a child. It is something he will carry with him his whole life. Giving a name is quite a responsibility. What if it did not fit? What if he hates it?
I have grown to like my name, but I hated it when I was younger. It was the third most popular name for my birth year (though it had been uncommon before). In nearly every class at school, there would be at least one other Melissa. (I remember several classes where there were three of us). All of the time in public places, people call my name and I turn to acknowledge them but find that they are talking to someone else. So we knew that we didn't want a common name.
At the same time, however, we didn't want a name so unusual that no one would know how to pronounce it. Grove, so far as we know, is not used as a first name, yet it sounds like a name. No one would have trouble pronouncing it since it is a common English word.
Unique and unusual, but still name-like. Natural, yet not too New-Age-sounding. Great personal meaning, and the bonus of a good literal meaning as well. A small stand of trees, a quiet, powerful place. Plenty of good symbolism possible in that. The more we came back to it, the more we liked it.
And it turned out to be quite appropriate to his personality as well. Nothing calms him more quickly than stepping outside with him into the woods. He loves to be under the trees.
I hope he likes it.
A few of you asked about Rose's nickname "Gully" from the last entry. It started out "Rose Girl" and that turned into "Rosgul" (like "Nazgul" from Tolkien) and because of the "gul" part, instead of calling her "Girly" we started calling her "Gully." It got me thinking about nicknames, so I listed out all of the ones we have used for each of us over the years. I'll leave you with that (rather silly and embarrassingly long) list.
Grove
Grove Toad
Toad
Toadlet
Toad-u-la
Fust-u-la (when fussy)
Goofball
Angry Dictator
Little Grove
Pterodactyl (when screeching)
Stinker
To Daddy: Poop Machine and Turd-u-la
To Grammy: Pickle-Toes
To Tam: Prince Goldenrod, Little Diapered Dictator (LDD), Thistle Head, Thing Two, and King Tut (Tam is quite generous with nicknames when it comes to babies and dogs)
Monty
Montague
Monta-Doo (from the rescue)
Doo
The Doo
Professor Doo-Head
The Loneliest Doo-Head
Stinky Ballerina
Stretchy-Doo
Frumpy-Butt
Dewey-Doo
The Lump
Garbage Breath
Bitey Doo
Skitzy Beast
Grouchy Doo
(Poor Monty.)
Rose
Rose Girl
Rosgul
Gully
Tooth Beast
Woes Woes
Elbow-Licker
Musky-Butt
Miss Dainty Paw
Poooor Poooor Woes-gul!
The dogs together: Rosendoo
Morgan
Daddy
Da-eee
Bensari
To his techy friends: Meauxtard
Morgan-Head
Mr. Davis
Sir
To Brad only: Gander-Natty
To Melissa only: The Boy, Love, or Honey
Melissa
Mommy
Mama
Mamamamamamamamama!!!
Momma-Node
Dawntreader
Dawn (long ago)
Ms./Mrs. Davis
The Lady
To Morgan only: The Grrly, Misserus Dainty Weed, Merlissa
Em. ("M")
Ma'am (Hell, and "Sir," too, on the odd occasions that's happened)
To Suzanne: Lissa
(Will not answer to: Mel, Missy, Melly, Melly Poof, or Evil Commander Crull, thank you very much)
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