By Any Other Name

You may recall the nightmare that was naming our first kid.  We haven't forgotten, and unfortunately, naming a second proved to be equally as difficult.  We may have to stop at two kids simply because we could not name a third, but as with Frazier Norma Grace's name is not at all ordinary and not the least bit arbitrary.

You see, Josh and I each have a grandmother here on earth.

Jessie Mae and JoAnn.  

They have known and loved us for three decades and you couldn't ask for two better grandmothers.  As a matter of fact, I was under the impression no one else had grandmothers as good as mine until I met Josh's.  And then I stood corrected.  We're blessed beyond measure that Nama and Mae Mae are part of our lives.  It's been a privilege to share our lives and now our children with them.

But we also each have a grandmother in heaven.

Norma and Grace.  

My Nana never knew me as a grown up.   She never met Josh and she will never hold my children.  I have missed her now for longer than we had together.  Josh's Grandma Grace did get to meet me, though I wish we'd known each other better and I wish she could have met our kids.  But these women share more than the fact that we loved them and they are no longer with us.  They each had names we thought were beautiful, not necessarily inherently, but because of the women to whom they belonged.  

Dear Norma Grace,

   We chose your name because it meant something to us.  It meant honoring two ladies we were blessed to know and wish you'd been able to meet.  They made these names beautiful by the way that they lived.  And as you are the most beautiful little girl we've ever known, we're giving them to you. I think they'd be proud for you to have them.  Now go and make it your own.

Mom & Dad