Blessing.

There are some significant events in one life that usually necessitates the taking of a new name. Some artistes take on new names to fit with their artistic personas, some persons change their names when they get married, taking on the name of their spouse to show that they have a changed identity. Catholics are usually invited to take a new name when they are baptized, confirmed or receive the sacrament of Holy Orders. It is advised that the name reflects something about their new journey, in most cases the saint whose life they would like to emulate. These names, once taken, stay with you in some cases for life; so some thought goes into its choice as this is a big deal. 

I was baptized as an infant, and the name I was given (or so I thought) was Elizabeth; in fact I thought it was Elizabeth Mary and I carried this belief all of my young life. I felt very privileged to have those names and had grown very fond of them, until I was preparing for confirmation which required me to submit my baptismal card (a card that contains information about sacraments one has received such as name of candidate, parents and godparents names, parish where the sacrament was administered, etc) and saw something to the contrary.

I was shocked to see my baptismal name in the card was ‘Blessing’, and not what I had thought all along. I thought to myself: what saint have I been named after, and who even names their child an unimaginative name like Blessing (yes, I used to be a name snob)? 

I was unhappy for months, felt like I had been scammed for so many years, and of course my immediate action was to then take Elizabeth as my confirmation name to make it ‘official’.

Several years after, and having overcome so many trials and tribulations, I have learnt to embrace the name BLESSING. I now know that it was not given in error, even though truth be told I don’t think my parents remembered they gave me that name because they never called me that. The name ‘BLESSING’, which needs no interpretation, and my native name UCHECHI, which means ‘God’s Will’, truly embody the story of my life; what I’ve been through, where I am now and where I am going.

So everyday I declare what these names stand for over my life.

You too could do the same. So what does your name mean? Is it something that embodies you and something you can embrace fully?

Some people ask ‘what’s in a name?’ I would answer everything. 

The same way artistes are careful about choosing their stage names, and business owners think carefully about what they want their companies to be called because it represents an identity, a brand; in the same way we should care about our names, what we are called, our identity.

 And if it turns out that your name does not represent you or for some reason you just haven’t connected with it despite giving it time, then there is an option to change it.

End of the day, even though your name might not be blessing, it should still feel like a source of blessing to you.

Stay blessed.