Who Am I, Part 2: My Best Gift
My best gift from my parents is my name.
My name is Riddhi Shilpi. My emphasis is on the "Shilpi" part, because my parents' last name is Mukherjee, and my mother's maiden name is Biswas. So where did my name come from?
My parents gave it to me.
Riddhi is a sanskrit name derived from one of the consorts of the god Ganesh. It means wisdom, and it often scene as the northern alternative to the southern name Buddhi, which is the feminine version of the name Buddha. I can actually say my name is Buddha, in a roundabout name. Because of variations on legend, Riddhi can also mean intellect and prosperity.
But, that's not my favorite part of my name. My favorite part is Shilpi, which means art. My love for that name isn't for it's meaning - even if this does mean my name is basically "wise art" or "wise artist". No, my love for my name comes from what it represents.
My parents, rather than just giving me their name, decided to fight against the patriarchy and give me a different last name completely. My dad fought with the Social Security Department for six hours the day he went to get my official documents right after my birth, and the fight didn't end there.
Over the years, my name has frequently been listed as my parents' last name Mukherjee, often making me lose places in schools and registries as it wasn't my actual name. I have had people refuse to acknowledge my last name as Shilpi once learning it wasn't my parents' name. People have told my parents to change my name "back" to theirs, and someone has even called the name change abuse. I have had people ask me what I plan to do when married (without even asking me if I ever would), and then promptly ignore me and say that I'll "grow out of it" when I said that no matter what, I wasn't changing it.
But we held on, all of us, to my name.
It has not only given me a way to think differently about my role in family, community, and society, but by explaining my name to people, it has made others think differently, too. It's a little sign, but it's a sign of change, of a whole new way of thinking. It has made me my own person instead of just my parents' child, and has given me autonomy in my thinking.
My best gift from my parents is my name. I may add to it, but I will never take any of it away or change my names. It is my identity, and I will not even let myself be defined by another person, either.
My name is Riddhi Shilpi. My emphasis is on the "Shilpi" part, because my parents' last name is Mukherjee, and my mother's maiden name is Biswas. So where did my name come from?
My parents gave it to me.
Riddhi is a sanskrit name derived from one of the consorts of the god Ganesh. It means wisdom, and it often scene as the northern alternative to the southern name Buddhi, which is the feminine version of the name Buddha. I can actually say my name is Buddha, in a roundabout name. Because of variations on legend, Riddhi can also mean intellect and prosperity.
But, that's not my favorite part of my name. My favorite part is Shilpi, which means art. My love for that name isn't for it's meaning - even if this does mean my name is basically "wise art" or "wise artist". No, my love for my name comes from what it represents.
My parents, rather than just giving me their name, decided to fight against the patriarchy and give me a different last name completely. My dad fought with the Social Security Department for six hours the day he went to get my official documents right after my birth, and the fight didn't end there.
Over the years, my name has frequently been listed as my parents' last name Mukherjee, often making me lose places in schools and registries as it wasn't my actual name. I have had people refuse to acknowledge my last name as Shilpi once learning it wasn't my parents' name. People have told my parents to change my name "back" to theirs, and someone has even called the name change abuse. I have had people ask me what I plan to do when married (without even asking me if I ever would), and then promptly ignore me and say that I'll "grow out of it" when I said that no matter what, I wasn't changing it.
But we held on, all of us, to my name.
It has not only given me a way to think differently about my role in family, community, and society, but by explaining my name to people, it has made others think differently, too. It's a little sign, but it's a sign of change, of a whole new way of thinking. It has made me my own person instead of just my parents' child, and has given me autonomy in my thinking.
My best gift from my parents is my name. I may add to it, but I will never take any of it away or change my names. It is my identity, and I will not even let myself be defined by another person, either.
I agree with you 100%
Re: I agree with you 100%