Before I gave birth to our darling Hattie P. I spent quite a bit of time at the pool (i.e. fancy country club that I don't belong to, but had the temporary pleasure of using), where I listened intently as well-groomed mothers with perfect tans called to their brilliantly blond little darlings as they frolicked in the water. Names here included many lovely and classic appellations such as:
Caroline
Elizabeth
Sophie
Anna
Isobel
Luke
and so forth. Now I very much love each and every one of these names. But as I listened and took note, I began to worry that my own sweet baby "Harriet" would feel a bit odd amongst her peers...and thoughts of taunts and teasing occurred to me (i.e. "HAIR-y" Harriet). These country club cubs stirred up quite a bit of anxiety, and almost caused me to back down on our Choice completely. I am happy that my husband held firm, insisting on the virtues of the lovely "Harriet."
After this crisis, many things happened. Harriet was born and named and that was that. We also moved to a new neighborhood, which is a bit...funkier...and a little less country-club. AND where the parents name their babies a bit differently. I am happy to announce that Harriet "Hattie" Winter will not be the odd-baby-out in her play group. Names I have heard recently include:
Claudia and Stewart (siblings)
Mateo
Iris
Cora
Enzo
Luca
Today I joined the neighborhood mothers' association, where I found even more graciously named children:
Beau
Walter
Silas
Victor and Josephine
Gemma
Oliver and Juliet
Margot
Kate
Faye and Evelyn
Henry and Amelie
Valene and Phillip
Hudson and Neva
Constance and Zooey
Julia
and
Soren (yes folks, as in Kierkegaard!)
...just to name a few. Methinks Harriet will fit right in!
