Spirit Matters: Putting a little whimsical magic into one’s identity

“Names have power like magic spells.” – Cinderella

I like to step into my mornings slowly to allow them to unfold naturally.

It doesn’t always work out this way, but when it does, my day seems to go much better, with less likelihood to be overwhelmed with unexpected stressors.

I begin with centering prayer and maybe some reading before introducing electronics into the mix, as scrolling has a tendency to upend the goal of a calming start to the day.

One recent morning, I woke up to heavy rain and darkness outside – one of those days that are conducive to slow moving and waking, but also conducive to brain fog, which can throw the whole intent to ground and center myself way off.

So, although I woke up about 6 a.m., I am just starting to write this at 8:55 a.m.

Because I got seriously sidetracked this morning after prayer and a little creative doodling.

When I opened my laptop and was sucked into clicking on the little “breaking news” icon in the bottom right corner of my screen, the breaking news display also showed a link to a story about whimsical names for baby girls.

Now, I am all about whimsy – in personality, style and in decision-making, which has been known to drive those closest to me a little batty sometimes.

And I always like to try new words on for size, allowing them to fill my mouth and roll off my tongue as fast as they form in my mind. Many of you can surely understand how challenging it is to not try all kinds of names on for size with your animals, even when they are secure in their given names. The pets I have had have accrued hundreds of names in their lifetimes.

So, the thought of exploring whimsical names for girls and trying them on for size was a nice distraction for a lazy, rainy morning.

Once I opened said link, there was no going back.

As I scrolled through the article, I began writing down names that I liked: Natalie, Annabelle, Esmerelda (Esme for short), Sophie, Isabella.

Interestingly, Natalie, Sophia and Isabella are all names I imagined naming a girl if I ever had one.

My interest was piqued, so I began Googling “whimsical names for girls” and came across an article that heralded 250 (!) whimsical names for girls.

My list grew: Arabella, Nora, Ella, Willow, Juno, Emerald, Luna, Matilda, Indigo, Echo, Marigold, Poppy, Penelope, Zoe, Oakley, Magnolia, Ivy, Zinnia, Zelda, Dahlia, Delphina, Juniper, Wisteria, Petunia, Lumi, Nari and, one of my personal favorites … Autumn.

As much as I liked these names, I couldn’t find any that quite fit me, as I know myself to be. Zinnia, Delphinia, Dahlia and Juniper did come close, and I circled them on my list. I liked the way they sounded and the charming, natural and playful impression they give.

After perusing the 250-name list, I closed the link, sat back in my chair and looked out the window. That is when I remembered my childhood nickname given to me by my uncle.

Gabby.

Sounds whimsical to me, I thought.

Merriam-Webster defines gabby as “talkative, garrulous.”

I asked my uncle one time why he called me that, and he said it was because no one could ever get me to talk when I was a young child.

Imagine that.

Yes, I am contemplative and introspective by nature, and it is my preferred way of being.

But, as many people can testify, I also have developed an admirable ability to chatter incessantly when the mood strikes. Maybe it is because I grew up in a household with six children that I had to grow that capacity for my voice to be heard.

In any case, after I let “Gabby” float around for a while, it seemed to resonate with my spirit just fine.

Gabby, by the way, is a derivative of Gabriel, or the feminine Gabrielle. Gabriel, of course, is the angel that announced to Mary that she would be the mother of Jesus. Gabriel is the patron saint of communicators and has long been on my list of go-to’s for prayers and intercession.

It seems a whimsical name that suits me well was inadvertently given to me when I was a quiet child, and life grew me into it.

Magical how that happens ...

SPIRIT MATTERS is a weekly column by Jerrilyn Zavada Novak that examines experiences common to the human spirit. Contact her at jzblue33@yahoo.com.