Recently, a mother shared an inspiring story of how, in spite of her dementia and memory loss issues, her grandmother played a crucial role in the naming process for her oldest daughter. A family favorite was shared on Reddit recently, showing the touching and unexpected way in which her grandmother “Peewee”, as she called her, had a hand in the decision.
Johnson explained to the audience that her grandmother had been receiving hospice care in her home during Johnson’s pregnancy. She wanted to include Peewee and made the decision, which some experts in baby names advise against. It is especially poignant, given that her grandmother Peewee suffers from a specific form of dementia.
Taylor Humphrey, an expert in baby naming, says the golden rules is: “Never give your child’s name to anyone before they are born!” However, Johnson opted to share her top three choices—Lydia, Olivia, and Sophia—with Peewee.
Peewee’s reaction when he heard the name Sophia sealed the deal. “My grandma f****** GASPED at the name ‘Sophia’ and it sealed the deal. She told me: ‘Oh my gosh! It was the name of my grandmother! It’s a gorgeous name!” Johnson remembered.
Johnson was delighted by the apparent familial link and Peewee’s enthusiasm. She felt that her search for a name had ended. It was a no-brainer. “I loved that it’s also a name of my family,” Johnson said.
After Sophia’s arrival, however, the tale took a funny turn. Johnson said to Peewee that she loved the idea of using a family’s name. To her surprise, Peewee responded in “HORROR and yelled, ‘My grandmother’s name was Sara!'”
Johnson has no regrets over the name Sophia, despite the confusion. I never got angry about the name not being our family’s. She said, “We considered the name once we discovered we would be having a female.”
Sophia, even without any direct relation to Peewee or her family, is still a wonderful reminder of Peewee and all the happiness she created during those special times. “I am so glad we selected it. My grandma gave my daughter such a lovely name!”
Johnson discovered the truth years later while she was pregnant and researching her family’s history. Johnson, who was pregnant at the time and had heard Peewee claim that her mother’s last name was Sara was initially tempted to believe it. Johnson explained that she was “really into my ancestry” at the time, and made a family tree. This showed her that, as clear as daylight, my grandmother’s great-grandma wasn’t Sophia or Sara. It was ANNE, she said. “I just lost my s*** cracking up … it just kept getting funnier and funnier.”
It was clear that the great-great grandmother did not have any of those names. The family connection was a case of misidentification, but the sentiment is still there: Sophia’s favorite memory will always be her great grandmother, Peewee. Her influence on the family naming tradition remains.