November 7 – “Nicknames”

Nicknames.  Aren’t they fun?  Except of course when they aren’t.  As in such classics as Goofball or Dummy.  Some of those evil monikers attempt to reflect on physical characteristics, like Miss Piggy or Fatso or Skinnybones.  Others speak to certain external deficits, such as Four-eyes or Baldy.  Some make an effort to explain stand-out behaviors, like Slowpoke or Slug or Couch Potato.  Others attack personal names by turning them into rhymes, like Kelley-jelly-belly (not that I’ve ever been called that, mind you) or Prissy Chrissy.  Still others appear to be random on the surface, but might reflect some hidden meaning, like Turk or Moon Dog or Whizzer (Hey, he was a supreme court justice).  On the positive side, many nicknames reflect endearment.  You have the usual Honey and Dear, along with the occasional Baby or Babe.  I suppose you can communicate depth of emotion by upping the intensity of intimacy.  You know, Darling or Dearest.

I am impressed with Chris’ ability to come up with pet names for our grandkids.  She never did come up with one for me, so I’ve always been kind of bitter.  She started out with Jachin-bacon.  Then she added Micah-rooni and Cailyn-sweetpea.  I detect some king of food connection there. 

The grandkids have nicknames of their own for Chris.  She started out as Nana with Jachin and Micah.  Then Zakary and Caleb came along and decided that she should be Nani.  Josiah seems partial to Nani as well.  But now Cailyn has started with the creative approach.  Her grandmother name of choice for a long time was Nani.  After a year or so, she apparently got bored and was proud to announce that she was now calling her Nana.  Interesting.  Then she reached the ripe old age of three-going-on-fourteen, and, like a teenager, she slipped in an occasional Nan.  But my favorite came out just the other day when she and I were talking.  I asked her directly which name was her favorite of the different things she called Chris.  She scrunched up her brow, pursed her lips, and thought long and hard.  And then the lightbulb went on.  She obviously had the answer.  I felt myself leaning forward, anxious to hear the final decision.  That’s when I noticed the slowly creeping grin beginning to appear on her face.  Slowly she turned toward me, dropped her head ever so slightly to one side, and announced, “I like to call her … Boogerina.”  OK, then.    

Psalms 37:7 says, “Be still before the Lord and wait patiently for him; do not fret when men succeed in their ways, when they carry out their wicked schemes.”

Father, thank you for being Great Initiator, Awesome One, One Who Loves.  Great nicknames.  Amen.