The gift of a name April 28 2026

By Elizabeth Ritchie Sherrill

A Mother's Day reflection

I love a good Mother’s Day gift. Give me all of the classics: chocolate, flowers, cozy things, jewelry, handmade gifts from school; I love it all. Occasionally, though, there is that gift that pulls at your heartstrings extra hard. For last year’s Mother’s Day blog post, I tossed out some more reflective gifts, many of which offered experiences over the standard Mother’s Day things. (If you are short on ideas and want to skip over the classics, give these Mother's Day gift ideas another look!) When it was time to think about this year’s blog post, as a mother, my mind went in a different direction. I kept thinking not of gifts to be given in the future, but gifts we have already, perhaps unintentionally, given in the past.

My name is Elizabeth. My grandmother was Elizabeth, and she named her only daughter, my aunt, Elizabeth. While my name holds familial ties, it also holds friendship. I was named for another Elizabeth, my mother’s best friend and college roommate, a person she grew into adulthood with before becoming a mother. As women, as mothers, as friends, aunts, and daughters, we are all connected by that name. Having a child named after you is such a timeless gift of connection, for in that grand moment of their life, they thought of you.  I think we often overlook how special that is.

My middle daughter, Eleanor, was named after a friend I made when I was five years old. I thought her name was so beautiful, and obviously still do! Sometimes I worry that it may seem odd that my oldest daughter is named after two grandmothers and my youngest daughter after a distant childhood friend, but I always felt that naming her after a sweet friendship and the start of many beautiful, fortunate friendships in my life was a good omen and the best well-wishes. Nowadays, two little babies in this world have the middle name “Elizabeth” because of me, and those friendships we have fostered well enough to warrant that honor are something I will always be proud of.

I say all of that to say this: On Mother’s Day, a gift you can give is one of reflection. Look at where you came from, and how far you have traveled, and the mothers who shaped you along the way. Maybe even sit down and tell one of them about it. What a grand gift that would be.