You have a unique name.
You probably spent most of your childhood, disappointed that you could never find anything in the souvenir shop with your name on it. There was always a "Katie," a "Sam," a "Kevin," a "Joseph," but your name? No.
No mugs, no keychains, no magnets, nothing.
Yet, everywhere you went, you'd still look and hope this would be the place where you'd find your name! Occasionally you'd find one for a name you thought to be a little strange, and definitely less common than yours, but they got a keychain with their name on it! Where was mine?!
You have a unique name.
You probably spent most of your childhood, wishing you had a different name. Maybe Danielle or Emily, or James or Nicholas...something more common, something easier to pronounce, something people would remember, something that you could definitely find on a keychain.
But it wasn't about the personalized mug or keychain.
When I was younger, I often felt that my unique name made me insignificant. Meeting new people was uncomfortable because I knew my name would be forgotten almost immediately after coming out of my mouth; constantly being asked, "I'm sorry, what was your name again?" Mispronounced over and over again, by teachers and other authority figures, after constantly being corrected, like my name and who I was am is insignificant. Like it is different and, therefore, not important.
But a name is so much more than just a title, more than just a way of introducing yourself, more than just a way to address another, more than something which defines your significance. A name is something which is carefully thought out.
For nine months, parents debate and contemplate names, throwing out suggestions left and right, a process which I believe must be extremely difficult. Some are dismissed right away while others stick around for further consideration. This is a tough decision. First, there are SO many options to choose from. Second, this is not a stuffed animal you can rename every couple days because you feel like it or because you forgot what you named it the last time you played with it. This name you pick is going to stick for the rest of his/her life. And lastly, which I think might be the hardest part, how do you know that you're picking the right name? How do you know that the name you pick when this tiny infant comes into the world is going to fit them, and the person they grow to be? So nine months of consideration, while it seems like a lot, probably feels like nothing. So they just pick one.
Some parents name their children after family members or significant people in their lives. Others find names from their favorite books or movies. Some use names inspired by cultural traditions or translations from other languages. Others may just find a name that speaks to them for one reason or another.
So you have a unique name.
Maybe it runs in your family. Maybe it comes from your culture or a different language. Or maybe Mom and Dad just really liked it.
You have a unique name.
People will most likely continue to mispronounce it even after you've corrected them about a million times. People will most likely misspell it, even when it is spelled properly right in front of them. And you will probably never find a mug, keychain, or any other kind of souvenir with your name at any point in your life. BUT that does not mean you are insignificant.
You are a unicorn, a rare breed. Your unique name represents the unique individual that you have and will continue to grow to be. Your parents knew you would be something incredible, before even getting to know you, and knew you needed a name to match that greatness.
So here's to you, little unicorn! Embrace your uniqueness. Get a good laugh out of all the ridiculous ways people may mispronounce or misspell your name. And who really needs a piece of junk with their name on it anyway?
