Musings on Moms: My Mother's Name

My mother carries around a first name that is bigger than her body. As a result, she's used to nicknames that fit her - my brother and me call her 'Mom,' cousins and friends call her 'Auntie Fely' and everyone else who doesn't belong in these categories call her 'Fely.'

Her name is Felicitacion. Forms of her name mean "congratulations" in languages like Italian, Spanish and French. Because my mother is a New Year's Baby, born on New Years Day, my grandfather decided to name her Felicitacion. My grandfather was also a strict schoolteacher in the Philippines who, I assume, had a love for language.

It must have been tough for my mom, as a young girl, to wear a name that continues a legacy that literally means giving thanks, passing on gratitude and making people happy. It was also tough for me to tell my classmates what mom's name was without getting stares of disbelief after I'd tell them. "Just call her Auntie, or Auntie Fely," I'd say quickly, just to get them to nevermind the fact that her name has 5 or 6 syllables, depending on how you pronounce it.

I think this name suits her now. Her name is a title, a phrase, an exclamation, something we both had to grow into loving. Her name was something I had trouble spelling, something I didn't use when I didn't want to talk to her. On most days, and especially on Mother's Day, I call her the highest title any woman could have: Her Majesty The Queen of Long First Names. Just kidding. It's Mom.