What's in a name?

A name is something we carry all the days of our life.  It is how we are known to others.  Eventually our personalities become attached to the name we carry.  When someone speaks a name most of us have a vision, a thought, or an emotion that we attach to that name.  For example, when someone says Jesus I think Savior.  When someone says Hitler I think evil.  When someone says Shea I think sister and friend.  When someone says Bert I think Ernie.  When someone says Judas I think betrayer.  When someone says Bennett I think my son, but for the first 30 years of my life I thought dad.

I initially didn't put much thought into what Sam and I would name our son.  I had known for many years that I wanted to name a child after my dad, if I was ever blessed with a child and if it was a boy.  When Sam and I found out we were having a boy he researched the meaning of Bennett.  Bennett is of French and Latin origin.  It was derived from Benedict which means "blessed".  That added greater value to the name my father held, as we felt very blessed to be with child since I had been told at a young age that it might be difficult for me to get pregnant.  Choosing his second name was a little more difficult.  I have never been much on using Bible names.  Although I am a believer, I am not Jewish.  However, Sam liked the idea of using a Biblical name, so we were going back and forth between James and Levi.  Not only are each of these Biblical names, James is my maternal grandfather's name and Levi is Sam's middle name.  As you know, we eventually decided on James Bennett, which I have many visions, thoughts, and emotions that go along with this name.  I can't wait to see how those change over the years, as the name has taken on numerous new meanings during the last six weeks.


Now I leave you with a few of our favorite nicknames for Bennett accompanied by a few pictures.

Initial J+Initial B=Jib

Bennett+Burrito= Bennettito

Captain Serious

Strugglesaurus

Duder

Little Dude 

Little Man

Young Republican

(this name is a result of the comb over hair do)

Sassy Pants

Who knows if we are blessed with another child and it's a boy maybe we'll use Levi.