On His Name

So I gave you hints. No one was close. Though I did appreciate the effort. Goes to show we picked a pretty good name. That was the consensus anyway. A strong, powerful and simple name. One that resonates. Perhaps it's the nature of learning a name for the first time, but it was repeated several times by people when they were informed of his name. Rolling it, as it seemed, over their tongues like fine wine. Now, here's why we named him as we did.

Isaac was a very simple choice, but full of profundity. A key component of the way I view life is laughter. With a smile. Not that life is a big joke with a punchline. But that life is laughter in the sense of that big, belly laugh. That laugh that brings tears to your eyes. That laugh that hurts almost. Life is to be enjoyed. And with that joy I associate laughter and mirth and humor. And so, Isaac, meaning laughter, was the obvious choice. A good name to begin with, not uncommon, but not Jacob or Noah either. Not topping the Top Names Charts. But with it's meaning, it embodied something I hold at the forefront of my world-view. And so, Isaac.

James is a family name. There have been many James' along my side of the family. From Great, great grandparents on down. There's lineage in the name James. But there has always been one person I have associated that name with and it's my father. We chose to name him after "theoldman" as you know him on this blog. But as I know him: everything I hope to be as a man, husband, friend and father. So to name my son after the most important man in my life was a way to honor him in some way, though I don't think I ever fully could. So it will serve always to remind me of my father and how I have the hope that with my son, I could be the same father that my dad was to me.

Thus, Isaac James. Known to some as A.J.; I.J.; Angus (a story for another post); Jimmy; Izzy (the nickname I gave to him and have since been forbidden to use. Though I have this secret hope that when he's 12 his friends will give him this nickname. Then Mother will have little choice!). But known to his Mother and Father as Issac James for the above reasons. And will continue to be known as Isaac James for thousands of other reasons in the coming days, weeks, months and years.