What's In A Name?

It doesn't take much for me to get emotional about my family, or to talk about how much I adore each member of it. But let me tell you, a song by the Avett Brothers has got me all up in a crazy state.

It's easy to forget how lucky I am when I'm swamped at work, worn out at home, and feel like I've been sleeping on the interstate. But this little song always reminds me of my family.

I'm sure that many of you understand what it means to have a family name--a name that tells people who you are and what they can expect. For better or worse, my parents made it a priority to rear children who understood the importance of the family name.

I had the family name thing down pat. My first, middle and last names are all surnames, which meant that someone everywhere I went could place me with a family. But because my grandparents, parents, aunts and uncles had worked so hard to preserve a "good" name, it also meant I could be trusted, looked up to, and considered an all around decent person by anyone who'd ever known someone with one of those names.

Each time my brother and I went out in high school, and well into college, my mother always, and I mean, always, followed us to the door saying, "Remember who you are and what you represent."

At the time, I thought it meant that the family name was the most important thing we had. Growing up in a small town, I knew that everything I did reflected back on my entire family, and the town would talk if I did something unseemly.

But growing older and having young nephews, has made me realize it was about much, much more than that. It was about what we shared as a family, and what that name said to us.

It said more than trustworthiness to other people. It said love for each other, constant and unabashed loyalty, and that if nothing else was left, at least we'd all be standing together.

It said that there were people who remember that a 15-year-old problem can rear its ugly head and turn your life upside down. It said that someone calls simply because they haven't heard from you in a while. It said that someone supports you through difficult decisions, and loves you when you don't love yourself.

When I look at my family, I see many things. A mother who loved me. A father who doted on me. A brother who stands beside me. Cousins who are like siblings. But mostly, I see people who laugh. With me...at me...for me. Just thinking about it makes me smile.

The love a family can share simply from sharing a name makes up for all the times I feel overrun.

For those of you who are my family and actually read this blog, thank you. For everything. My life is all the more enjoyable simply because you're a part of it.

Just know that every time I hear this song, I think of you, and "always remember there was nothing worth sharing like the love that let us share our name."

Oh, and one more thing: For God's sake, remember who you are and what you represent.

L.