Giving Your Journey a Name

“I read in a book once that a rose by any other name would smell as sweet, but I’ve never been able to believe it. I don’t believe a rose WOULD be as nice if it was called a thistle or a skunk cabbage.”

L.M. Montgomery, Anne of Green Gables

First of all, if I’m honest, probably just about everything I needed to know growing up I learned from Anne (with an “e”) of Green Gables.

If it weren’t for her (okay, L.M. Montgomery), I wouldn’t have embraced my friends as kindred spirits. I would have continued to think of my imagination as “silly.” And I wouldn’t have had the courage to wear puffed sleeves when everybody else was wearing Peter Pan collars (am I showing my age here?)

Names … Not Labels

Naturally I agree that names for things do make a difference. But not labels. As soon as we stick one of those on ourselves, we are immediately limited in some way. I started off as a children’s author. Do you know how hard it was to get anyone to take me seriously when I branched out into women’s contemporary fiction? Unfortunately, these days it’s hard for some of us to call ourselves Christians – even though we’re followers of the Way – because half the population jumps right to things we don’t believe in (i.e. raise our respective blood pressures) Sad, but true. No one can be summed up by one word or term. We aren’t paper dolls, right?

What we’re talking about is the name that fits. The one which has the perfect connotation. It makes you go, “Oh, my gosh, of course that’s absolutely it!”  Think of how long we watch the personality of a new kitten, puppy, cockatiel or car. (You do name your vehicles, yes? If not, please do so at once.)

Let’s each name our journey the same way.

The Honor It Is Due

We’ve talked about what has brought us to the start, the head of the trail, the beginning of this particular path. We’ve also shared what we’re moving through at this point in our lives. Uneasiness about a relationship with an almost-adult child makes you want to move toward what that looks like now. Grieving a significant loss nudges you to see what life can be moving forward. Finishing a career and wondering “What now?” Wanting to launch a career and wondering, “Can I do this?”

If we dignify our journeys by thoughtfully naming them, we also honor ourselves.

And We Do This How?

The name can be something as simple as:

• Pilgrimage
• Sojourn
• Excursion
• Expedition

Maybe it’s a word from another language:

• Yatra (Indian)
• Peregrinacion (Galician)
• Pilgerfahrt (German) – okay maybe not this one – it puts one in mind of flatulence …

An image can also become a name:

• Walking the Life Labyrinth (that’s mine, but feel free to adopt it)
• The Passage to Me
• Soul Safari
• Jungle Journey
• Into the Wild
• Swinging from Tree to Tree

Whatever the impetus for the journey, hopefully we’re all going to arrive at a deeper understanding of our beautiful God-made selves. That deserves a worthy name. Am I right?

THIS WEEK’S QUESTION:

What will you name the journey? This may change as you go. Our own names evolve over time. Little Jimmy becomes Jim and later James. But something goes on the birth certificate. What will you write on that line – for now?

We will gather for our weekly meal-together next Monday, and of course, please stop in at the Facebook “coffee shop”, which is open every day. The lattes are on me.