"There are two days in a year where nothing can be done. One is called yesterday and the other is called tomorrow. Today is the right day to love, do, believe and live." (The Dalai Lama)
It's 1:51 am and I am awake. Thinking about starting this blog. Laying in bed, saying to myself, "Just get up and make one post." What to write? Where to start? I need to start now. Live and do today.
Why the blog name, "The Dolly Mama"? A few days ago, I was on the phone with my adult married daughter and teacher, Sarah. I said to her, as I usually do, when we are getting off the phone, "Love you, Dolly." She quickly asked, "Do you call us all 'Dolly,'" referring to her other siblings - two younger brothers and a younger sister. "Yes. Yes, I do." "Then your new nickname will be the "Dolly Mama." We both pretty much belly-laughed, Sarah being so proud of her humor, and within about a minute and a half, I was sharing this joke and this new nickname with anyone that would listen.
I do have individual nicknames for my husband ("Bunny," "Sweetheart") and my kids ("Peanut" and "Sarah Doodle" for Sarah, "the J-Man" for Jared, "Bean" for Josh and "Rachie Bug," "Squachel" and "the Scratcher" for Rachel). These nicknames came about for so many reasons. They morphed from one thing into another over time, so that sometimes I don't even remember how I got to this final destination and name.
A name is what we use to identify ourselves and others. A nickname brings us to a whole different level, one more familiar and personal, expressing love and relationship with another. As I think about each one of these nicknames I have for my kids and even the nicknames they have been given by others, memories flood my mind, recalling when and why each one was given.
My favorite nickname is the one Sarah has for Jared. When he was born, she was only 18 months old, and she combined the words, "brother" and "Jared" and tried to call him "Bread." But she wasn't quite good at it yet, so she ended up, in her cute voice, morphing the word and calling him "Riddid." It's 23 years later, and many times, she still calls him that. And my heart smiles as I recall the love they share and that special memory that only a few of us understand and know.
So, here I am, "The Dolly Mama," something given to me in Spring of 2017, and which I hope lasts a life time.
I would love you to comment and tell me your nicknames, ones you are called and ones you are given and the memories that go along with them. And to my precious subscribers, thank you...we can encourage each other to live in the daily...
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