What's In A Name: Wren Evelyn

Wren Evelyn Schuster

Like the names Max & Otto, we chose Wren because "we liked it." And while that explanation is entirely true, it doesn't capture our thoughts in their entirety with regards to the meaning behind Wren's name. I mean, yes, Joe and I are pretty simple and straightforward, but a basic "We liked it" doesn't give full credit to the added depth behind our name choice.

Wren.

I'm a sucker for traditions, making & preserving memories, etc., so while I love the idea of selecting a "family" name for our kids, Joe and I haven't fallen in love with any of the so-called family names we have to choose from. The good news is that there's much more to a name than just the 4 (or 3 or 5 or 6...) letters that it takes to spell it.

On the surface there isn't a strong connection between my mom's name (Sandy) and Wren. But let me share a little more about my mom and you'll start to see some commonalities. My mom is a cross-stitcher. It's one of the things, or hobbies, anyway, that has most defined her for me since I was young. She was always working on a piece, usually multiple. My childhood home had pictures she had stitched hung in every room. If you asked me what she spent her time cross-stitching, it'd be very easy for me to answer. Birds. Birds of all kinds. Birds, as well as a beautiful Weeping Willow tree. Whenever I see birds they make me think of my mom.

Even though the four letters that spell our daughter's name aren't the same as the letters spelling my mom's name, their is an invisible tie that binds. Now, I guess we could have called her Wren Willow and really embraced sentimentality, but that would have been even more Ridgie than Summer Sunshine (which was my "proposed" first and middle name until my mom's mom spoke out and I became a "Summer Ann"). And while Joe and I have a bit of Ridge in us, that would have tipped us over the edge. And come on, take a look at that photo on the Ridgie home page. Our kids don't pull any of those shenanigans!

And, how fitting! This past Christmas my mom brought me a picture she recently found that she had cross-stitched years ago, well before I was pregnant with Wren.

Evelyn.

The name Evelyn came onto my radar about 10 years ago. It's my best friend Christy's middle name. When I learned this was her middle name I told her I loved it. Years later, once Joe and I had started our family, I again told Christy that I loved her middle name and that if I have a girl, I really think I'd like her middle name to be Evelyn as well. Christy lamented this. And since we'd been drinking, she admitted she dislikes her middle name. Wouldn't I be much happier using Christina as my daughter's middle name instead, she asked.

Nope, no I wouldn't I told her. Christy thinks her middle name is ugly. I think that even the ugliest piece of Christy still shines bright with beauty. Christina Evelyn is this amazing girl who dances with abandon. Drinks with abandon. Embraces life with abandon. She sparkles in all that she does and helps all of her friends and family shine as well. Someday Wren and Christy will dance, drink, embrace life and sparkle together til the sun rises.