When I was young, I don’t know what came over me when I asked my Mom how come I was the only one among her five children who wasn’t named after them, our grandmas, and our grandpas.

My eldest sister has my maternal and paternal grandmas’ names in her 1st and 3rd names. My second sister has my Mom’s name for her second name.

My third sister has the combination of my Mom and Dad’s names for her 1st name and our great grandma’s name for her second name. My brother has the names of my Dad, my maternal grandpa, and my paternal grandpa for his 1st, 2nd, and 3rd names consecutively.

Me? Well, my parents told me they ran out of relatives’ names to name me after. Poor me, right?

Who Am I?

So, how did the young me respond? I was sullen and bitter. Well, what could you expect? That was pretty harsh for a grade-schooler to take. And the great revelation never stopped there, of course.

They told me I was adopted, which explains why my brother (born before me) and I have a 5-year gap. What’s worse, they told me I was thrown by an “unknown mother” over the fence in our backyard.

You see, we have two adopted cats back home who went through exactly the same situation. Maybe that explains why I felt closer to our adopted cats than my siblings. We can relate with each other and it’s like I am more bonded and have a deeper connection with them.

So you know how this picture went. The teary-eyed baffled me was looking for a defender. And of course, I looked pleadingly at my parents and siblings. They were all laughing. Ahhhh, cruel, cruel family. Tsk, tsk.

Okay, before you start to believe everything I am sharing, this is the part where they reassured me that it wasn’t the case. And they provided more ‘substantial evidence’ to prove their point.😁

The Real Deal

My Mom went on to explain that I was born in December, which is Christmastime, so they retained the word “Christ” in my name. My second name was lifted from the Hawaiian “lei,” which is a garland of flowers presented upon arrival or leaving as a symbol of affection.

But explaining that to a child still won’t have that much bearing – I still felt left out. I found it easier to accept that I was adopted. Why? Because it wouldn’t change anything. I am grateful that my parents now gave me a better life and such a wonderful family. Not a day passes by without me thanking God for this greatest blessing.

A Better Chance At Life

And I’d still thank my biological Mom (if ever) for making the most difficult and painful decision of giving away a child. A child whom she carried for 9 months in her womb, went through all the hassle of labor and childbirth, then left her baby to people she doesn’t know but she believes can give her child a better future.

Because she made the right decision, and that makes her deserving of the honor given to any parent who wants nothing more but the best for her children, and more importantly, for giving me a chance at life. But no, I wasn’t adopted. So let’s cut this here.

A New Identity In Christ

Going back to the name game, am I still resentful about my name? When I became a born-again Christian, that all changed.

If my siblings tease me now, I have the greatest answer as a defense:

“I am a daughter of GOD, because I have CHRIST in my name (and in my life), and He is the Great Father who owns all the heavens and all the earth. Therefore, I will inherit all the heavens and all the earth. Beat that. Ha!” 😂

“Therefore, God elevated Him to the place of highest honor and gave Him the name above all other names…” – Philippians 2:9

Yes, CHRISTine is thy name. And indeed, as ABBA sang it, “the winner takes it ALL.” CHRIST has won it all for us. 😉

Truly a sister in Christ and God’s daughter,

P.S. If you’re a parent or a parent-to-be, do prepare an answer when your kid asks your choice for his/her name. 😃