A rose by any other name...

by Diana Orgain

What’s in a name? My three year old, Tommy, proudly states his name if you say anything at all to him that begins with “You’re so (fill in the blank). So our conversations usually go like this:

Me: You’re so cute!

Tommy: No, mommy, I not cute I Tommy.

Me: (laughing) You’re so funny!

Tommy: (pointing to his chest) No, I not funny, I Tommy.

Me: I know you’re Tommy and you’re also lovable!

Tommy: I not lovable! I Tommy!

And sometimes because he is so cute and funny and lovable- he repeats his name in a huff and usually calls himself “Tommy Ginger” instead of “Tommy Junior”. Which usually just makes me laugh so hard that I want to repeat the entire conversation with, “Tommy Ginger, are you cute?”

You can imagine what he says.

I love his sense of self. Yes, we are all made up of many characteristics; charming, immature, funny, humorless, etc – but does any mood, feature, action, or even name define us? In the end I turn to one of my absolute favorite writers of all time:

From Shakespeare's Romeo and Juliet, 1600:

JULIET:
      'Tis but thy name that is my enemy;
      Thou art thyself, though not a Montague.
      What's Montague? it is nor hand, nor foot,
      Nor arm, nor face, nor any other part
      Belonging to a man. O, be some other name!
      What's in a name? that which we call a rose
      By any other name would smell as sweet;
      So Romeo would, were he not Romeo call'd,
      Retain that dear perfection which he owes
      Without that title. Romeo, doff thy name,
      And for that name which is no part of thee
      Take all myself.

 

Comments

[Mysti Berry]

What a beautiful way to start the day!
Sometimes I long for the days when I knew who I was as surely as Tommy does...

Thanks for inspiring me, Diana!!!!

[Camille Minichino]

Delightful, Diana!

I can hear Tommy now:

"I not 'Tis but thy name that is my enemy ... "

[Ann]

Aw, tell Tommy he's CUTE beyond belief! ;-) Hmmm. This conversation actually helps me realize why it drives kids *crazy* when teased about their names or when teased with silly nicknames...

[Diana Orgain]

Thanks so much you guys. I'm so happy to inspire you all!
XOXOX,
D