Maitri Kamlesh Patel. A rare name that not many people share. Its meaning has invisible power. Without even realizing it, the power of my first, middle and last name combined is unbelievable. My name has shaped my personality and who I am today. Friendship. The Preserver. Chief. I take pride in my full name. It exults much confidence and happiness, it exults … me.
Maitri is not significant to anyone in particular. Maitri does not belong to anyone specific, no matter their status or wealth. Maitri belongs to everyone in the world. Maitri brings the world together as one, regardless of who you are and where you come from. Maitri means friendship. Maitri is a graceful word that describes the relationship between two people regardless of their identities that let them bond for a lifetime.
Friendship is one of the rare things humans all across the globe share with each other no matter where they come from or what they do. Friendship can show up in the most unexpected way between the least compatible people. The power of friendship, the power of Maitri, spreads happiness without even knowing it.
Kamlesh is actually a masculine name, but in my Indian culture, the child always takes up their father’s name. If they are a female, once they get married, their middle name usually changes to their husband’s name. It is a patriarchal tradition that I am not so fond of, but I have a soft spot for it because I love the meaning behind my father’s name.
Kamlesh is actually a demi-god. He is a reincarnation of Lord Vishnu, one of the most powerful Gods in the Hindu mythology. Lord Vishnu is one of the three main deities in Hindu mythology. Along with Lord Shiva, known as The Destroyer, and Lord Brahma, known as the Creator, Lord Vishnu falls in between. He is known as the Preserver. Between creation and destruction, there must be peace and preservation, and that is what Kamlesh, my middle name and my father’s name, means.
Patel. An extremely common last name that not many people know the meaning behind it. When I was a young child, I wasn’t happy with my last name. I hated the fact that in my class there would be at least one other child who shared the same last name as me. In the United States, the surname, Patel, ranks 172 in the top 500 most common surnames. Shocking? It shouldn’t be. But as I grew up, I learned the true meaning behind my surname. And I couldn’t be anymore proud of it now.
The name Patel means headman or Chief. It means leader. In the old times, these men were known to be the leaders of their village and had high economic status. To this day, Patels of the state of Gujurat (where I was born and where the rest of my family originates from) compromise one of the wealthiest and strongest communities across the globe.
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To me, my name defines me to the very core of my soul. I cannot even imagine myself with a different name. It would feel as if a part of my identity would have been stripped away. Having the middle name of a God feels as a blessing that watches over me. And my ability to make friends so easily and to be able to lead people when things aren’t in the best of shape, comes from my name.
I am Maitri Kamlesh Patel, and my name does not just represent me. My name defines me.
