I have been nicknamed many different things in my life. My family is big on nicknames. In fact, if they call you by your actual name, you probably aren’t quite one of us.
I love hearing my people call me by names that no one else calls me. It is the sweetest, most endearing sound on the planet. Hearing my nephews yell, “Red” and come running towards me, hearing my stepdad say, “the queens home”, hearing my dad say, “manna jo!”, Yvonne calling me “Manda Panda” and pretty much anyone from my hometown calling me “Amanda Jo.” I know where I know you from, based on what you call me. I know the era of my life you have existed in, or at least the one you entered into.
Until a few years ago, when one of my very favorite aunts passed away, I never considered that some names exit with your loved ones. Those sweet, special, endearing phrases you will never hear again. My precious Donna Kay called me “Miss Mouse” and I called her “Me Nona”. She always greeted me like I was the most important person on the planet. She always treated me as though my presence mattered, because to her, it did. Her enthusiasm for my arrival was worth every trip I ever made to see her. I’ve lost other names in my life as well at the passing of loved ones and each one still surprises me. The sweet simplicity of a shared nickname. I know this is a heavy topic, but I share it for a reason.
Friends, the things you think matter most, aren’t always the things that matter most. We complicate our legacy. I believe with all of my heart that our legacy is most defined by how we made people feel. What we called them. What we said to them. Not what we bought them, not when we saved their butts, but how we made them feel. How we expressed their importance to them. The small, everyday moments of interaction. That is what we remember. We remember the impact of a person based on how they made us feel.
Today, may I encourage you to be careful with your words. Be careful what you call people. Not all nicknames are good ones. I’ve been called some really ugly things in my life and I haven’t forgotten those either. They have a lasting impact as well. More on that at a later time. For now, love your people, treat them well and enjoy those sweet nicknames while they are still around to say them. Greet your people with the childlike enthusiasm they deserve. Much love friends.
