Margaret's Namesake

I think one of the hardest things when you find out you are expecting is naming your child. I remember my Dad told me this the moment Charlie and I shared our news with my parents for the first time! And boy was my Dad right! I think it took Charlie and me the entire nine months to finally pick a name for our sweet baby girl. I also think the naming process is one of the most fun things when you are expecting because you are picking the Christian name of your child, forever.

We have a host of girl names we love, so I knew this process was going to take a while. We initially started this process back in the summer, right after we found out we would be having a girl. I remember making a list of names, once a week, over supper at home. Charlie and I would take turns sharing our top 3 for the day, some family and some not. We would, in the mix of the conversation, always go back to the name Margaret.

Most of you who read this blog know where the name Margaret comes from. Margaret Morrow Mimms is Charlie's paternal grandmother. I met Margaret "Gan" within a few weeks after meeting Charlie back in 2009. Her energy is like no other, her love for the Lord is like no other, and her love for her family is a witness to the way Christ loves us. She is selfless, a servant, dedicated to each task she undertakes and is a Christian mentor to my husband. Our sweet Margaret Lyerly Mimms is named after her.

Lyerly was special to both of us because it's my maiden name. I want Margaret to know how much she is endlessly loved by my side of the family too. My grandfather, Joe Lyerly, died several days before Margaret was born. He never got a chance to meet her, and she never got a chance to feel his warm touch holding her. A few weeks before he died, when he was in hospice care, I had the opportunity to spend an entire week with him because of the great flood in Columbia. The flood was a horrendous event in Columbia, but there is always good in every trail (as I was off work for a few days and spent my time with my dying grandfather.) I remember he told me how excited he was to meet her and how excited he was to be a great grandfather. "Lyerly" holds a very special place in my heart because Margaret will forever know the love and joy I have for my family and the many special memories I have growing up with a close knit family.