And I recall my first day of taking my second year of Russian language. Our professor was no longer the American woman who became fascinated by Russian culture in her college years (understandably so). Instead, we had a woman born and raised in the Motherland. She had even attended Moscow University, where my friend Masha currently goes.
"Kak bac zobyt?"
"Menya zobyt Sharayah," I had responded.
With a quizzical look she said perhaps the few words in English we'd ever hear her say the entire year. "Sharayah? That is too long. Tebya zobyt Shura."
Ha. I remember how I didn't have a choice then, and I didn't have much of one when I had gone to Russia for those two, almost three weeks. The women would chuckle to themselves when I would tell them my shortened name. I knew it was a nickname for Alexander, but it was easiest for them to pronounce as well as remember, so that made things better in the long run.
Attending Iglesia Vida Nueva for about the 4th week now, I realized I might be changing my name again. Jose Luis came up to me again to ask my name, and when I repeated it for him one of the students who had also attended on Sunday looked at me. "Sharayah, you might need something easier to pronounce."
Even my friend I've sat in adjacent rows with for the past few weeks called me Sara. As in Sah-rah. He said that he knows it's Sharayah, but this is just easier for him to say. And let's be honest, I've gone throughout this lifetime having people mispronounce and misspell my name and I've been mostly okay with it.
Jesus knows me. And when I head out to Argentina it's not about me any way. I take comfort in this:
Con Cristo estoy juntamente crucificado, y ya no vivo yo, mas vive Cristo en mi; y lo que ahora vivo en la carne, lo vivo en la fe del Hijo de Dios, el cual me amo y se entrego a si mismo por me.
Galatas 2:19-20
2 comments:
Hey your grandma zulema calls you Charaya...you might want to try Chaya it works in spanish and english and in hebrew it means life
http://www.babynology.com/otherorigins-chaya-f60.html
But always remember to give them the opportunity to know and learn your real name. I always like to figure out how to say the names of people who are from foreign lands, even if they are difficult. I had a friend at work named Chris, and almost a year later I found out his name was really Queresh. I told him I wished I'd known all along and I would have learned it and used it. Don't give everyone an easy out... remember to give them the opportunity to stretch themselves as well.
love mom
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