What is this fascination we have with our names? People never seem to grow tired of seeing it, and it doesn’t matter what it appears on. I once knew a girl named Georgia, who happened to visit Atlanta on vacation. She bought up everything in sight that had the word “Georgia” on it, like a kid in a candy store, even though it was clear that it was referring to the state and not her. But, it didn’t matter. It was her name, and she loved all 37 items just the same. I still chuckle when I think of her chasing her name all over the store. Everywhere she saw it, she ran to it with glee. You would have thought she had just seen her name for the very first time. Squealing with excitement EVERY time, it was a veritable love fest right there in the souvenir shop. But, it’s not her fault; she was “cursed” right from the start. It was a pride her parents instilled in her from birth. How? With personalized baby gifts, of course!

Although she may not admit it, I think that seeing her name in the store was like traveling back to the very first time she saw her name embroidered on that fluffy, pink baby blanket she carried with her everywhere she went. She might not have known how to read it, but she could sure feel the raised embroidery of her name against her skin, and she knew that this was her blanket and hers alone. It was the beginning of a kind of kinship-a friendship-between her and her name. Drawn to it like a moth to the flame, it cast a spell over her that would last a lifetime.

As she got older, and could actually recognize that it was her name that was scrawled across picture frames, baby clothes, personalized door hangers and the like, reading it gave her a sense of pride and perspective, because then she knew that her name was to mean something…stand for something. You see, she and her grandmother shared the same name. And her grandmother was a woman of character. A gentile woman from the South, little Georgia loved to visit her during the summer. That’s how she learned to sip tea like a lady and walk in a way that garnered respect, even if no one knew her name.

So I can see why she got (and still gets) so excited about her name. It’s more than a name. It’s a legacy. No wonder her parents proudly printed it on everything in sight. Fitting, I suppose. What a wonderful way to convey such a simple message-know who you are and be proud of who you are.

It’s been said that “A good name is rather to be chosen than great riches, and loving favour rather than silver and gold.” More than just about the name itself, it’s about the name we make for ourselves. A subliminal message that resonates from a simple baby gift, it should inspire us all to be proud each time we encounter our name because we know a good thing when we see it.

Author Bio: Karen Sullen is a writer where shoppers can buy personalized baby gifts.

Category: Parenting
Keywords: baby gifts, baby, gift, gifts, shopping, names, baby names