A is for Anita

Welcome to my new adventure in blogging. I have requested permission from a blogger friend to use her idea of blogging through the alphabet. Perhaps this will get me out of my writing block.

I have decided to make these posts personal, so if you choose to join me for these next 26 days you will learn a lot about me.

Here goes, and how appropriate that my name starts with the letter A.

A is for Anita

I was supposed to be Joanne. Just Joanne. No middle name. I was to be named after my Uncle Joe, because I was born on his birthday. Somehow, in the discussions on that day, my grandma decided that I needed more of a name. From what I have been told, she came up with the name Anita. So, there you go, Anita Joanne.

I always wondered how my Uncle Joe felt about that, because his name pretty much got lost in there.

Growing up I wanted to change my name. There was a Bonita in my grade school classes and I felt our names were too similar. I liked the name Joanne, although I wanted to split it up, and I never understood why that had an e on the end. Later I wanted to be Annie, because I thought that sounded classy.

My mother-in-law calls me Nita, she always has and I let her. No one else really does.

My oldest brother used to call me Anita Mosquito. He is the only sibling that ever gave me a nick name. I miss hearing him call me that.

Funny thing about writing about my name is that something strange and wonderful happened a few weeks ago. I was sitting at my desk at school and all of a sudden, I turned my head because I heard my name. Only, I couldn't have really, because the person that I heard saying my name was my mother. My mother has been gone for over 30 years, but for some reason, she must have been strong on my mind. I heard her voice as clear as ever sweetly call my name. Just once, no other words, just my first name. "Anita". I turned to a co-worker and told her that Heaven had just opened up for me, and explained what happened. Now, I know it wasn't really her, but for whatever reason it happened, it made me smile.

It is odd, that no matter what our name is, the real meaning we place on it is because of who calls it, and how it is spoken. A name is never sweeter that when spoken by someone who truly loves you.

A is for Anita, and I have come to love it.