A rose by any other name would smell as sweet...

In Turkish, nearly every name means something - how New Age.. I've had male students who are twins with the names "East" and "West," a girl whose first name, Irmak, means "river" and middle name, Su, means water - how beautiful, "River Water". I have an Umut whose name means "hope," an Ece whose name means "queen" and Ecem which means "my queen".

Derin, which is a unisex name, labeled his pencil case with the English translation, "deep," and when I saw it the other day I thought about how much his name suits him - a deep thinker with an insight rare to those his age.. The type of gentleman who would walk up to his teacher and say, "I made you this but it'a not just a cube" and unfold this origami square just right to reveal a red paper rose with green petals...

How we live up to (or into?) our names, the hopes that parents may want for their children when they decide to call them "Kiss, "Poem, "Silk," "Life," "Nature" or "Sea" - so magical.. When my own parents chose "Shirin" was their biggest wish that I would be "cute" or "sweet" as my name suggests? I spent so long hating that my name was so different in the US, but being here people constantly refer to its meaning and it adds a layer of appreciation to my parents for being so thoughtful in a way I didn't consider before...

...and don't even get me started on last names, where "Simsek" (pronounced Shimshek) -"lightening" and "Yagcioglu" or "son of an oil maker" don't even begin to cover it!