We’re missing something lately. I’m calling it cross-pollination. Strictly speaking, that’s what happens when two plants’ genetic material combine. It can happen accidentally – thanks to flower-hopping bees. Or even the wind. At other times, we intentionally create hybrids for our own purposes. It happens in language, too. Talking to people – friends, colleagues, people […]
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Sunday Summary: Wise Words from Morgan Freeman
It’s said that Morgan Freeman once advised: “Don’t take criticism from people you would never go to for advice.” On some level, that’s wrong. We live in communities, and sometimes it’s valuable, even essential, to recognize how others see things – even when they’re worlds away from us. But mostly, this is clear-eyed advice. Criticism […]
READ MORE >>Sunday Summary: Deeply Personal and Deeply Public
There’s so much to unpack in this New Yorker article: America Ruined My Name for Me. In brief, Bich Nguyen was born in Vietnam, but moved to the US as a refugee while still an infant. Her name means jade in Vietnamese, a name both beautiful and common in her native country. But it proved challenging growing up […]
READ MORE >>Sunday Summary: A Family Name Story
Names matter. A good reminder came via this Instagram post. Thanks to Meg for sharing it! I’m a little late to the party, true. Lettie’s post talks about her given name – handed down from her grandmother – in the context of Black History Month. “I think about what it meant to decide on your […]
READ MORE >>Sunday Summary: Flutter Names
Don’t you love to discover a phrase we all need? It happened the other day: Flutter Names The incomparable Swistle mentioned the phrase “Flutter Names” in this post. Flutter names are the ones that thrill us. They might be names we’re very much considering for our child’s first name. Maybe they’re a little more daring, […]
READ MORE >>Sunday Summary: Kale Meltdowns
When my kids were tiny, I had a total meltdown over kale. No, really. I decided that I should somehow be growing organic kale. In my townhouse. With no gardening skills. Also, I should be twenty pounds lighter (theoretically possibly possible) and six inches taller (clearly beyond my control). And then this willowy, zen-like gardener […]
READ MORE >>Sunday Summary: It’s a Family Name
I have a theory that declaring “it’s a family name” is the easiest, most painless way to explain an uncommon choice. Of course, that may or may not be an accurate statement. You might’ve come up with a truly daring – or just slightly unusual – name completely on your own. And the opposite also […]
READ MORE >>Sunday Summary: A Full Sunday Name
I’ve mentioned before that I come from a family of serious nicknamers. You could know me for 100 years and never learn my siblings’ actual names. It’s not like we’re in witness protection or anything. It’s just unfathomable that someone so close to me wouldn’t have a series of names, nesting like Russian dolls, from […]
READ MORE >>Sunday Summary: We’re all just like the royals …
Royal watchers + fans of high profile birth announcements already know: Princess Eugenie and Jack Brooksbank named their new son August Philip Hawke. It’s very much a family name. Philip honors Eugenie’s grandfather, Prince Philip, husband of Queen Elizabeth II. While Hawke might make you wonder if the Brooksbanks binged Cobra Kai during lockdown, it’s actually […]
READ MORE >>Sunday Summary: Which Direction Does the Arrow Point?
Good baby naming advice is often good LIFE advice, and vice versa. Swistle recently answered a question from a parent with three E-named kids. In her reply, Swistle noted that there’s no need to continue with E names, but added “if drastically narrowing the name-choice field is helpful and reduces naming stress rather than increasing […]
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