a breakfast serial
One bite-sized story every morning to uplift, motivate, or provoke thought.Archive for Name
Names (Monday Setup 4/1/13)
< by Jill >
I’m sitting at the dinner table in my childhood home, basking in the light that’s streaming through the windows. It’s nice to slow down and relax for a minute. The past few days consisted of morning-to-night activity, primarily thanks to Cora, my 2-year-old (going on 3) niece.
Cora and I share many common bonds. We’re both full of energy and laughter. We love to draw and run and play pretend. When I was two, I had strong peccadilloes: My food had to be arranged on my plate in a particular way, otherwise it would be cast to the floor. Cora has similarly strong preferences when it comes to the way she’s tucked into bed. She has four blankies, and they each need to be layered in a specific order, lest a tantrum is desired.
In addition to these personality quirks, we share a middle name: Hallstrom.
Hallstrom is my mother’s maiden name, and it’s the title of a God-fearing people. The name Hallstrom connotes strict moral values, strong work ethic, and a vast network of globally minded people who travel beyond their comfort zone — and time zone — to attend to the needs of others.
Hallstrom is the middle name I share with my sister and my niece, and it’s the middle name I’ll pass to my future children as well.
This week, you’ll hear more stories about names, nicknames, and titles. Each story will explore how these names came to be and what they mean.
a breakfast serial 