Names:
My brother's name is Nicholas Leroy II. And of course my daddy was Nicholas Leroy. My grandmother named my daddy after her father-in-law Nicholas Daniel, whom she loved and respected. Everybody except my grandmother called my brother Nicky. She called him Nicholas. "Come here Nicholas and give me a hug." She informed everybody that even though everybody called him Nicky she would always call him Nicholas. This she did out of love and respect for her father-in-law.
Although my daddy's name is Nicholas Leroy, he went by Roy. And you better not pronounce Leroy Lee-Roy or my mother would correct you. "It's La-Roy" she would say.
But on his tombstone she put Nicholas Roy...I asked her why and she said "because everybody knew him as Roy." Okay.
Once at Thanksgiving we were all gathered around the table, grace had been said, and we were passing the mashed potatoes, corn, etc. My Mama said to my nephew, who is Nicholas LeRoy III, (known as Nick) and was about 8 or 9, "baby do you want some .....", when my brother said "don't call him baby." Mama who rarely cussed, and especially not at the dinner table said in no uncertain terms and with a firmness that only a Mama can say, "I'll call him any d@^^n thing I want to." "And I'll call him baby any d@^^n time I want to."
Before our #4 gbaby was born, she, being my daughter's first child, was the subject of much controversy over what she would be named. I liked the name Avery and so did my daughter. But my son-in-law Joel was insistent on Madison. One Sunday we were rather heatedly arguing over this at Mama's house. I'll never forget, she was sitting there quietly in her recliner. I didn't think she was paying any attention to what we were saying, when she spoke up and said, "Joel, it's the mother's prerogative what to name the baby, because she is the one who goes down in that deep valley to have her." Everything became very quiet....oh and those of you know #4's name is Avery.
Smile....sweet sweet memories.
3 comments:
Very sweet story!
You are so Southern, my friend. And I'm saying that in my most complimentary voice, too. Such a wonderful story!
That is a fab story. My grandfather, uncle and cousin are all Peter. I don't know how far back that goes. My mother and father both have middle names they dislike so I didn't get one. They christened me Victoria due to them trying so hard to get me. I adopted a middle name later on in life and everyone I know after the age of 18 knows me by this. My other grandfather also went by his middle name.
Names are a very interesting thing :o)
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