In Search of a Nickname...

I think of Jesus’ name, which means He Saves, and His other name, Emmanuel, which means God With Us. The names were chosen because of who He would be on Earth, centered in His identity and the role that God had ordained for Him.

My given name, Erin, means peace, peacemaker. I’ve always taken it as a personal charge, in a manner of speaking to live up to my name, to pursue peace and to do all in my power to live in peace with others. My parents chose it because it fit well with Eric, my brother’s name, and it was easy to spell. Sometimes, I think of it, though, as if God ordained it for me, that He chose it as a primary part of who He created me to be.

I have to tell you, I was never really into nicknames. I always thought they were silly and childish. My mom used to call me Sissy all the time… it drove me crazy! She’s probably the only person that could get away with calling me by that name; for anyone else, it was fighting words. The rest of my family always called me Erin Leigh, and for the most part, they still do. I know I’m home when I get both names. No other nicknames ever really stuck.

Sometimes I think it would be cool to have a good nickname. I hear friends tell the stories of how they came up with nicknames, about how friends affectionately played off a strength or a quirk, or a funny story. When they share the stories, the name seems rooted in a common past, in the deep roots of many years spent together, different seasons of life, and a deep knowledge and appreciation of the person. The name almost seems to denote a bond, a special connection that is not always obvious to others, like an inside secret that is only revealed to close friends and acquaintances. Sometimes there is a nickname without a story, a name that just caught on. But usually, there is something behind the name… something more.

Maybe that’s what I want, the something more, a name rooted in what other people see in me. Something funny, something meaningful, something quirky… something that says this is me, unapologetically me, given to me by people who unexplainably accept me, for me, quirks and all. Just as I sometimes picture my given name as specially chosen by God, sometimes I think it would be cool to have a name specially chosen by my friends, by the people who know me the best; I think it would be nice to know what they see in me, what defining quality or quirk sets me apart from all the other Erins (or Aarons) in the world.

So, here’s my question, friends… what should my name be? What nickname would you give me and what would it say about who I am?