By Jon Saints - 09 Sep 2012
There are a few moments in life when you meet up with ones you’ve always dreamed about. Like the dream, in those moments you burst with wonder at the swirl of events, improbable yet destined, fragile yet fated, which lead you here. The generations before, the actions of each one which could have altered the moment you are living. Yet, it feels as if it could never have been different. You are meeting a moment you were meant to live.
Yesterday, the birth of our son William Rio Saints was one of those moments.
So, what is in the name? We wanted the middle name to be meaningful, used, and not just there. So Rio, the middle name, is the one he’ll go by from the start of life. It’s playful, it’s nostalgic, it’s creative, it’s artistic. It’s short, fun and speedy. It’s where Marissa and I spent our honeymoon. It can be pronounced in English, Chicewa, and Spanish. It is also powerful. It is means river. What was once a short playful river, with time, made the Grand Canyon. Rivers wash away sorrow and have brought peace and restoration to our lives. This summer was dry. Rio is a prayer for rain and reminder of our origin and dependence upon the natural world. Baby Rio was born in the water.
William is the name that Rio will, with time, grow into. It is a name rooted in the history of our families and in the world. Both of our fathers have worn the name well. As in Baltasar and Blemunda, the power of the will must be forged, shaped with time, struggle, and learning. It becomes full as it is aligned fully with the will of God.
William is the powerful name he will grow into with time. Rio is the playful, creative childhood name. The tag-a-long inner child that will always be there with him.