My daughter's name. Lest we forget.

It has been alleged that the delay in announcing Nugget's name is part of an attempt to keep people coming back to my blog. Although I've been enjoying the near-quintupling of my daily visitation, this is not the reason for the delay. 

It hasn't been easy to have a conversation with Fawn to discuss a name. Most of the time, I was occupied with Jade who, for some reason, absolutely refuses to sleep until the passing of the witching hour. When I would finally get a moment, Fawn would be trying to sleep or eat or go to the bathroom. You know, the things that need to get done in the few stolen minutes away from the newborn.

I was a little shocked when Nugget was born on Remembrance Day. Remembrance Day has always been an important day for me.

My Grandpa fought in the Second World War. It was during WWII that he met my Grandma.

My Grandpa didn't talk about the war. I know he did once, but I was too young to appreciate what he was doing. I wanted to ask him about it many, many times afterwards, but never knew how to ask. Every time a commercial for a war movie or documentary came on the television, he always looked so upset. So sad. Sometimes, his eyes would water over and he would choke it all back. I think it was from memories that he didn't want to remember. But I never asked him.

For me, Remembrance Day is a time to reflect on the human capacity to engage in something so horrible that it pained my Grandfather for the rest of his life. It is a time to reflect on all the friends he lost. It is a time to reflect on the families who lost fathers, brothers, sons, and uncles, sisters, mothers, daughters and aunts.

I lost my Grandpa a few years ago and Grandma almost two years ago. Remembrance Day was supposed to be a time for me to honour their memory.

But then Fawn went into labour and the baby was born that evening. How could I reconcile the joy of my daughter's birth with the sorrow and memory of such great loss?

Having the baby born on Remembrance Day did not make naming her any easier. None of the names that I found or heard from others seemed quite right. I don't know why.  Some of the suggestions were great suggestions, but they just didn't "fit."  I was pondering this when I was checking my e-mail. I had received a comment. It was another name suggestion. Great.  Another name suggestion.

But this name was different. When I read it, I knew it was right. The name which, in Hawaiian, means "in remembrance of loved ones" or "memorial" honours the memory of those that have sacrificed so much for us. For me. For my daughter.

I thought about it for a while and tried it a few times while looking at the Nugget. It was right. I proposed it to Fawn and, after a little discussion, we had a first name and a second name.

Halia Rose.

Halia is pronounced "ha-LEE-ah".  Thanks for the suggestion, Melissa!