What's the meaning of having a name? Why do we need a name? How do parents give their children names? All these questions were in my mind when my sister asked me to give her daughter a name.
Since when the day we reconciled, my sister always update me about herself and her baby inside her womb for her first baby. My parents see to it that they will be fine both. She has her check-up every month.
I am still a student at that time and my school was far from our house. When we reconciled, I felt how I missed my sister. She's closer to me than our youngest one. Our youngest is so secretive and doesn't like to open up with us. That is why I was shocked about my sister when she had a relationship with that man before and they hide it from us. My sister M is open to me since she's a child. Maybe because she was afraid that we can't accept the man she loved before.
When her due date was coming. She's nervous and afraid. No days that she'll ask sorry to our parents and me. We already assured her that we're not mad at her anymore and that we accepted her already. We also encouraged her and tell positive things because we knew she's afraid. We told her that we're always there for her and the baby. I knew she's mad at herself that's why she's acting like that. So, I talked to her and that she should forgive herself. That she should learn from that mistake. She promised me that she'll never make our parents disappointed this time. That she'll not waste this third time that our parents gave to her.
She thanked me for being an understanding Ate. We're crying when we talked about it and then we talked about our childhood days when we don't have any problems before. We reminisce and laugh about it. I look at her and I felt happy she can laugh like that since the day she went back home. I wished that time and hoping that it will long last and that she'll be back as who she is.
During her labor, she'd been calling me for how many times. She labored for four days. I felt pity for her to suffer that long during her labor. But thanks to God she made it and they're both okay. The baby was healthy. I was about to sleep when my sister asked me a favor. She wants me to name her daughter. I was o happy when she gave me the privilege to name her daughter. Since our father already gave a name, I gave the baby the second name. I name the baby "Maybelle", I got it from my sister's name. My father got mad when he looked at the birth certificate of the baby and saw two names written on it. He asked my sister who gave the name, and when she said it was me, my father called me immediately. When I assured him it was me, he calmed down. He thought another way around, I knew. Maybe he thought that my sister's ex gave that name.
Years past and my sister found a man who will accept her for who she is. Now, they are building their own family. Yesterday, my sister gave birth to their son. They called me to name their son. I laugh at them, why me? They said that they like the names that I gave to Maybelle and now they want me to name their little boy. I told them that I will think for a while. After 10 minutes, I think of a name. I name the boy " Nazh Vin". It was taken from our father's name and my sister's husband.
I was glad that my sister trusts me like this. She trusted me to give her children names. I love my niece and nephew. Their mother made a mistake before but she learned from it.
Now, she's happy with her family. We're so glad she found the right man for her.
Note: Cover image from Unsplash
I was also asked by my brother to give a name for his child. I chose Brielle, from the Hebrew name Gabriel/Gabrielle which means heroine of God. In French origin, it means God is my strength. She's my first ever niece from my brother. My brother is also younger than me. #TitaNinangDuties