My Name

 

 

                My name is Jacob Henry Sutton and I was born in the year 2000, the year of the Golden Dragon. I would like to share the story of my name and how I came to be. My parents first met in high school, where they tell me they had a one day romance.  They did not actually start dating until they met up again here in Park Slope over seventeen years later, when they were in their thirties.  After dating for a few years, they decided to get married and have only one child (my brother Ben would be surprised to hear that).  A year after they got married, my mom became pregnant with me.  My parents decided to find out my sex before I was born. Once they learned that I was going to be a boy, they were able to focus on my name.

              In the Jewish religion, it is a tradition to name a child for someone in your family who has died.  When my parents had only been dating for two months, my mom’s step brother, who she loved very much, my Uncle Harvey, died very suddenly.  My mom wanted to name me Henry after Harvey, but my dad and my Grandpa had bad memories of a guy named Henry in their family.  Henry had a “close” relationship with my dad’s aunt when she was still married to my great uncle.  She ran off with him.  So given this issue, my mom had to compromise and my parents decided to use Henry as my middle name.  My Uncle Harvey’s Hebrew name is my Hebrew name, which is Chaim.  I am told that in Judaism, it is a great way to honor the memory of someone you love.

               You might be wondering where the name Jacob came from.  First of all, my parents liked the name Jacob.  Second of all, my parents only originally wanted to have one child.  If they were only going to have one child, my dad felt that this child should be named after his dad, my grandfather Joseph.  Even though my grandfather was alive when I was born, my dad felt like he wanted his father’s name to live on after he was gone.  So they named me Jacob.

My mom tells me that in some important ways, I am like my Uncle Harvey- kind and generous.  I am glad that I am able to know my family’s history through my name.

 

                                I am like the ocean,

                                And swimming in the pool

                                My name is the lion roaring              

                                 For if I was a lion

                                 I would say

                                “Now that’s good singing”

                                I love the color blue

                                I think my name sounds like it too.

                                Like fishes in the sea

                                Calling out my name

                                Shy, but always full of soul

                                My name is Jacob.                                  

 

I often feel as though I am one with the ocean.  When I am immersed in water, I feel free, light, and unburdened.  The rush of the waves makes my spirit soar.  Similarly, the cool, crisp, water in a swimming pool heightens my awareness of my body and makes me feel  like I am a fish in the sea.  I am like a lion as I love to roar, though my roar is more like a song.  My songs help me to express who I am, as I am otherwise more cautious and shy. I think these things identify who I am.

I am Jacob.