What's In A Name

Oh, it was well known that we had no names picked out for baby. In some ways I felt baby's name needed to come after the birth. And so it did.

Our two friends came over in the afternoon after the birth to help out, and shortly before they left we discussed names - as we'd done a number of times at church functions. Amanda suggested a few along with Avila, after St. Therese of Avila - a prayer of whose was hanging on a banner above my bed, watching over the birthing space. Jenny was feeling she needed a name meaning strong or like a tower, which also resonated with me. Other names were suggested as well, but Avila had already struck a chord with me.

After they left, I searched for the meaning of the name Avila and found three common ones: desired, bird, and - would you believe it! - strength. It was perfect. We asked Ella if we should name her Avila and she said yes. Baby was in the quiet alert state while we were talking and I whispered "Avila" to her and her eyes got really big. I repeated it a few times and each time at Avila her eyes would get bigger. It was like she was saying "Yes! That's me! That's my name!" and you know what? She is SUCH a little bird too. Tiny and squacky.

For the middle name we went through the list of names that I had written down throughout the pregnancy. None of them worked well or resonated except Tansy. It was Josh who first said "Tansy is growing on me."

I didn't know anything about the name other than that it is an herb. In Seattle the lady we bought our
Cloth diapers from had a little girl named Tansy and I'd always adored it.

So once again I went to looking if it had a meaning at all and indeed it does! It means "immortal." I read that it is "easily cultivated in any soil", which made me think of my pastor's recent sermon on the Parable of the Seed. What a great characteristic to be adaptable in any soil, easily cultivated, and prolifically transplanted. Best of all, there is a tradition about it rooted in Easter.

"It is connected with some interesting old customs observed at Easter time, when even archbishops and bishops played handball with men of their congregation, and a Tansy cake was the reward of the victors. These Tansy cakes were made from the young leaves of the plant, mixed with eggs, and were thought to purify the humours of the body after the limited fare of Lent. In time, this custom obtained a kind of symbolism, and Tansies, as these cakes were called, came to be eaten on Easter Day as a remembrance of the bitter herbs eaten by the Jews at the Passover. Coles (1656) says the origin of eating it in the spring is because Tansy is very wholesome after the salt fish consumed during Lent, and counteracts the ill-effects which the 'moist and cold constitution of winter has made on people . . . though many understand it not, and some simple people take it for a matter of superstition to do so.'" (more info on the link above)

What a perfect name for our little Lenten baby, who will be baptized at the Easter vigil. Maybe we should make some tansy cakes for the occasion.

Today our midwife came to check up on us. She had been visiting with a mother/friend who was enraptured that we'd chosen Tansy. She told our midwife that Tansies are protective herbs and farmers will plant them instead of using fences because deer don't like them. She said that Avila will be protective of all those around her. How beautiful!