Namesake

For me to talk about Harriett is like a five year old talking about plutonium. It's kinda cute, but everybody knows the five year old has no idea what he's saying.

However, today is Harriett's birthday and considering that the person I love the most in the world is now named after her, I thought I would give a shot anyway.



When I started dating Brett I noticed a small black and white picture of a girl tucked into a drawer. Considering the rest of his apartment was the usual messy and unsentimental bachelour type, I assumed this was a picture of his mom. I think it was the way the picture sat all by itself, next to nothing else, that made it obvious at that this woman really ment something to him. At the time I had a black and white picture of my mom on my desk so I didn't think to much of it.

It was one day at my apartment that I noticed Brett had started reading my journal. Really mad, but trying to keep my cool I said "I am so gonna tell your mom on you. She's going to be so disapointed in you." I was trying to be flirty and cynical in a cute way, but he put my journal down, looked away from me and said, "You can't. She died."
Then he casually walked into the next room. He sooooooooooooo burned me. I just stood there dumbfounded and muttered some sad little apology. Honestly, I know he thought he was pretty funny by putting me in shock. And surely, that will be a moment I will never forget. But that's how I found out that Harriett had passed while Brett was on his mission ten years earlier.
Note to other Millburn boys- that is not a cool way to tell a girl about your mom... however it is memorable.

That is not what I came online to blog about though. I just thought I would share that little nugget.

I've been told that Harriett never cared for her name and at one point tried to get people to call her by her middle name, Marie- yet it never took. She liked Marie better, hence we did not name our Marie "Harriett."
When Brett said he wanted our girl to be named Marie I was a bit shocked. The name is pretty sacred and I didn't want to step on any siblings toes, but so far, as far as we know we are still on good terms with all the siblings. :)


Like many, I am sad I never got to know Harriett and I know that we will and have missed out on many moments that she would have enriched. However, I know that she was an amazing person because Brett is. I know she cared about people because Brett does. And just as he didn't get so nice on his own, she may not have either. . . or maybe I just wanted an excuse to post the above picture. Her mother is third from the bottom right, and her father is in the bottom right. Does anyone else think he is Mitt Romney's real dad?


But I was looking as this picture and thinking- MAN! A mom must be really good if not ONE of her teenage kids is making a super sarcastic face in this family photo.
That is serious talent.

I don't know what is going on in this picture, but it makes me feel good just looking at it. I hope Marie will be as sweet as Harriett. Grandma Parry told me that Harriett was very easy to raise in that she was very good with money (Marie- I hope your listening!) and truly cared about people.


Here is Harriett in the center. This is my projection of what Marie will look like when she is 7. I think Marie has Harriett's eyes, nose, and maybe her smile. She definitely won't let me down in the looks department.



It's late now and this Mommy needs to sleep. Here is Marie supervising the making of her blessing dress by her other grandmother.

Marie has definitely got good genes.