The Name Game - Wordful Wednesday

This week's Wordful Wednesday assignment is to talk about our name. I am totally fine with that, because I LOVE my name. My name is Kathryn, with a K and a Y. It's really the best way to spell it, no offence to anyone with it otherwise! There are a ton of ladies in my ancestory with this name, though I think I'm the only one with it spelled my way. My mom intended to call me Katie, but another lady, also with a young daughter named Kathryn, stole it and I remained Kathryn. I gave the name to my own daughter, and we do call her Katie (Anne).



So, in my thinking about names, I thought about the one or two people who got away with calling me Kathy. A lady I worked with at an old folks home. She had a hard life and a good attitude, so I allowed it. Plus, I was afraid to tell her at first, and then it became endearing. My boss at Fred Meyer also called me that, which is funny because his name was Bub, and if anyone called him Bob he would get very angry. (What kind of name is Bub anyway!) A boy I dated called me that too, which is probably why I didn't marry him (aside from the fact that I didn't love him).


I have also added names. From 1995-1997 I had a 'Sister' in the front of my name, when I served an LDS mission in the Michigan Lansing mission. Adding something like this to the front of the name gives you power and identity in a way you didn't have before. I really liked being called "Sister" and like it now just in the everyday way Mormons use it to talk to one another. It may seem wierd to people who aren't familiar with the church, but isn't it a nice thought to remember that we are all children of our Heavenly Father? That we are all brothers and sisters?


When I was 11 I added Aunt to my name. Aunt Kathryn. My middle name is after my mom's oldest sister and I have always hoped that I can live up to my name. She is one of the funniest ladies I know and so smart. Thankfully I can try to be like her. I try to follow my Aunt's examples of being very interested in my neices and nephews. They will probably never know how we pray for them and hope for their full happiness out of life.


When I taught school I added Mrs. to my name. I know, I added that when I got married, but nobody used it til I started teaching school. I loved it! What a grown up thing to be called Mrs. Last Name here. I also enjoyed being called 'Teacher' by my students, and later when I taught Joy School we had the kids call us Miss First Name here.


When I was growing up I got called all kinds of nick names, most of them having to do with chicken, which rhymed with my last name. I liked the attention and friendliness people gave me because of my name. I still occasionally hear it and it makes me smile. Another of my nicknames was Kat, but you have to really love me and make it your own if you're going to call me that. Three people to date that I can think of have earned that right. Man, I'm a snob!

I was just reminded to add Mom to my list of names. None of my kids have ever really called me mommy, I'm just MOM! Or Mawhm...with it all drawled out and loud. Especially by my namesake when she's stuck in her booster seat at the table. I'm glad, though, to be called mom, and not Mother dearest, which would imply a certain amount of stuffiness on my part.

The one thing I hope for most, now, is what follows my name. As in, "That Kathryn, she is so _______________." I hope I can be the kind of person who brings honor to my name, who is worthy of having positive words there. Not words like *whiny *troublesome *negative *insensitive *you get the point. I mean, seriously, what words come to mind when you hear a name like Hitler? We all have a name, now it's just what we make of that name that counts!