Your Name

 

 

Given that I am a writer above everything else, the names have extra special meaning for me. I am the third Maria Luisa in my family. My grandmother was named Maria Luisa, and her first daughter (my mother) was named Maria Luisa. It took me about 15 years to make peace with my name. Maria Luisa is a strong name, "it was the name of a queen," said my mom and grandma. I discovered the truth; I went to a park in Seville, Spain, by the same name, built for a queen and felt really important. 

As a little girl, the name was too big and serious for me; I wanted something more melodic, more bouncy, and playful; as a result of my frustration, my barbies were always Andreas, Paulinas, Camilas, or any other name that I thought suited me better than mine. Once I started writing, I realized that my name sounded exactly like me; it was strong, it was powerful, and it wasn't of a silly girl; it was the name of a woman. So, Julieta, my darling, this is what I wanted for you. I wanted a name that nobody in my family had before; 3 generations is enough to break the cycle. I wanted the name of a woman, a name that would match your father's last name. This name would identify you as a Latin woman because even though you will be borne and raised in Canada, you are Mexican. I am most definitively as Mexican as the mariachi band, the spiciest food, and the eagle in our flag. 

I thought of so many names; some of them were shut down by your father, some names reminded me of people I don't like, some names were just silly. As you would probably know by now, I daydream a lot, and in one of my dreams, I remembered what it was to be young and in love and a concert I had the pleasure of witnessing in my early twenties. It was Fernando Delgadillo, a singer/songwriter that composes songs that are more like poems. One of his songs is called "Julieta"; it is about a man remembering his first love; a girl with hair as long as winter has to leave because her father has died. A girl that made him promise to live forever. I love that song; you probably have heard this song a hundred times by now. I played that song to my mom when I was thinking of having a baby, and you were years from becoming a reality. 

I know Julieta is probably most associated with Shakespeare's "Romeo & Juliet," but believe me, that was not the reason I chose this name. I do not wish for you the faith of this character, but I do wish for you to live intensely and to give yourself body and soul to whatever cause or person you choose to (I might not like it, but I do wish that for you). I know your name will be different from most girls at school, but hopefully, you will realize that different and unique are good things to be.

So there you have it. I hope you like your name and own it like I did with mine.