Myfanwy... Yeshi... Biset
Yup, Biset is the name I have chosen for my girl, as hinted here.
Biset means "if he gives" in Ge'ez. Ge’ez is the ancient language of Ethiopia and it is the precursor to Amharic, the modern, official language. Ge’ez, like Latin, has not been used as a spoken language for a very long time.
Biset Yeshi June will be her three given names. If I hadn't thought 4 names was too much for her (and me, because Oy, imagine filling out forms!), I would have added Caroline (after my older sister who passed away) as another middle name. But at least she has a name of my choosing, her given Ethiopian name, and a family name (my middle name, which is also her Grandma's middle name).
Funny thing is, I had a list as long as my arm of girl names. I had it narrowed down to 1 or 2 top contenders. However, when I saw Biset's face, I knew none of them was right. Maybe because I fell in love with the name Yeshi. Despite adoring her name, I still had a strong desire to give her a name of my choosing. Bisette is a name I have loved for years, but I had sort of forgotten about it. For whatever reason, it came floating up to the surface of my mind again as I gazed into my daughter's eyes. Once I thought about it for a couple of days, I was finally 100% positive I had made the right choice--especially since it has Ethiopian origins. There is no doubt in my mind. And that feels so good. It's a strong name, it's feminine, it's unique, it's easy to pronounce and spell, and it's perfect.
Bonus, my mom loves it. She even wrote her full name out on the back of a photo I had printed for her: Biset's full name, her age, and the date. That was a VERY powerful moment because all of our childhood pictures have Mom's writing on the back. It still makes my heart race to think about the significance of that act. Even though it was such a casual moment--I had stopped by Mom's house to borrow her lawnmower and drop of the print I had just picked up from London Drugs. At that moment, it felt like my daughter became a true part of our family. Forever part of our family history.
BTW, Sylvia had asked when I can post pictures of Biset--unfortunately that will have to wait until we pass court and we become officially Mother and Daughter. Until then, I am not allowed to show her to you.
I still have a lot to blog about, and I will include lots of pictures and updated nursery shots, too.
