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Write about your first name: its meaning, significance, etymology, etc.
I once had to write a short essay in my high school Spanish class about how my parents chose my given name & why, then read the story aloud to the class. So, I asked my dad who was sitting at his home office desk after dinner, how he chose my name. & why.
I should preface this by saying my dad was under the influence of a few glasses of post-dinner vodka. Yup, my dad was not quite sober when I decided to ask him a very serious question for my school homework assignment.
I couldn’t believe how he could try to keep a straight face while giving me a completely bullshit answer. As I kept asking him if what he was saying was the truth, he started cracking up. What was the story he made up about the origin of my name? Well let me tell you it was weird.
Let me start by saying if you’ve been paying attention to my username/handle, & you know an intermediate amount of Japanese vocabulary, then you can pretty much guess what my name is (or at least half of it). So, my name sounds like a Spanish name, but my family has no ties to any sort of Spanish culture or ethnicity. My entire family tree is as oriental as you can get. However, when my dad immigrated to the United States, he landed in San Antonio, Texas & immediately fell in love with Tex-Mex culture. That’s probably the real reason he chose a Spanish-sounding name for me. The story he told me?
Well, well, well. My dad (who had been a banker his entire professional career), told me that the first known lesbian he ever worked with had that first name. He went on to say he greatly admired that coworker (but did not elaborate on why), & that he liked the sound of her name, so he chose it for my name when I was born.
No matter how many times I asked him to tell me the truth, he stuck to that story. I even asked my mom if she knew why my given name was chosen, & she had no clue whatsoever. All she could say was that she let my dad pick my name at birth. I don’t know why I never questioned my dad again about it. Was it pure laziness on my part? Most likely. Was it a bullshit story made up by a man whose liver was soaked in a potato-based alcohol? Absolutely.
I ended up using that story for my homework assignment, but I embellished the story a little bit, mostly to fit the length requirement of the essay. I don’t remember what I wrote or what I ended up saying in front of my classmates, but I do remember my utter embarrassment in having to use that as my name origin story.
My dad has been out of the picture for 14 years now. So, I guess I will never know the true story of how I got my given name. That’s ok, though. I have kind of grown into liking my dad’s made-up farce of a backstory. It’s quirky, & that’s kind of cool. That’s all. Until the next one, cheers.
Song of the day:
What’s your favorite time of day?
I have been really, really enjoying the late evening. Right after everyone has showered, put on pajamas, & climbed into bed; that’s my sweet spot for ultimate relaxation, most days. No more grandmas asking me to fix their phones or check their emails. No more chasing after stubborn children or partners engrossed in their latest video game obsession. It’s this time when the entire house has settled down for the night that gets me excited.
Our little bean still co-sleeps with us, & I am enjoying it, for the time being. Although, Jian likes to complain about it nearly every night. The three of us cram into a queen size bed, & like most kids, she likes to toss & turn in bed. This, as you can tell, leaves very little room for me, & makes Jian feel hot & uncomfortable.
Our bedtime routine with her goes as follows: we each shower before bed, she drinks a small glass of milk, I read 2 books with her, then she cuddles up with Jian & watches a few Instagram reels with him before sleeping. It is during this time when I bask in the glow of my personal time. I put on my AirPods, so anything I listen to won’t interfere with whatever Jian is watching on his phone, or distract the little bean from sleeping. Then I proceed to unwind by catching up on my saved YouTube videos, or scroll through Instagram. Sometimes I will window shop for kids clothes for the little bean.
I am not an early sleeper at all, but I do enjoy lounging in bed before bedtime. Our little bean will play with her stuffed animals that she likes to sleep with. She sometimes will cuddle up to me, but mostl of the time she cuddles up with Jian, which is funny because they are both 2 human furnaces. I on the other hand, am mostly cold & like to layer up.
I am feeling sleepy as I write this post. I think I am going to join the little bean & take a nap. Cheers.
What brings you peace?
Lots of things bring peace into my life, big things, small things, random & silly things. I do not meditate, or bullet journal, or do specific arts & crafts like knitting or chrocheting. I guess those types of things provide more of a calmness than peace, but I also suppose those two things can go hand-in-hand most of the time.
Here is a list of things that bring me peace:
- Not having any major physical illness or impediments
- Making lasting memories with my child
- Having easily accessible child support within my family
- Having the best partner to raise a child with
- Having a much less strained relationship with my older sister
- Building even deeper relationships with my older brothers & core friend group
- Still having members of the older generations in my family (Most, if not all of the elders in my family: grandparents, parents, aunts & uncles are all gone.)
- Being in a comfortable financial status (*knocking on wood* 🤜🏻 🪵 🚪)
- Having the means & ability to travel at least once a year
- Eating my favorite ice cream flavor
- Having one more cup of coffee
These are the core things that bring me peace. Everything else just seems like boasting. I will leave it at that. Cheers all.
Rabbits & Foxes 
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