L is for "Lisa"

My name is Lisa. Apparently on my parents first date, my father told my mother that they would one day have a daughter and call her Lisa Marie. Mum was taken aback as they were only 16 and 18 but 2 years later they were married and 45 years on and they are still married!

I was born when my parents where only 19 and 21. I have some funny stories surrounding my birth ... thanks Dad! And thankfully I grew out of that "looks like a monkey" stage that he proudly told his mum, my Nan, when she asked what I looked like after I was born.

I am the first born in our family and my full name ended up Lisa Rose, not Lisa Marie. Rose is my mother's middle name, and also my beloved Nana and great-grandmothers first names. One of my nieces also has the middle name Rose as has my first-born daughter, who is now the fifth in the line of "Roses".

Lisa Marie Presley was born one month after my birth, in the October, and my father pointed out that he obviously had good taste as the King had called his daughter Lisa Marie. Funnily enough I did end up a big Elvis fan too.

When we were blessed with a second daughter we gave her, her the Papa's mother's middle name, Jean, which also happened to be what my dear paternal Nana went by (she was officially Jeanette but I never found out this til many years later).

I was never impressed with my name growing up (I think I wanted something a bit fancier as I though Lisa a bit plain) but as I got older I really appreciated the history and the romantic story that went along with my name.

Some people choose a name simply because they love it. I did that with my children's first names but we chose their middle names to honour other people and to leave them with a bit of history and belonging.