Obviously, I couldn't find an exact definition for my name. But, the name Shaunaci (spelled Shaughnessy) might be Irish for peaceful. My mother did not intend for this; she works for a daycare and so she named me after a girl who is about two to three years older than me. I like to believe, though, that my name means peaceful in Irish, even though it is spelled differently. I think of myself as quite a peaceful person; I am surely the definition of a pacifist. I do not like the thought of something defining me because it's much too definite, (get it?) but if anything, I can accept being defined as peaceful. Relatively, my first middle name -- Alexis -- means "defender of the people," and the other -- Annette -- means "gracious, merciful." Those meanings have positive connotations and are parts of my personality. Stevens, on the other hand, means "crown," which I do not relate to very much, but I suppose it defines the more egotistical side of me. My full name describes my personality and characteristics more that I first assumed, and on further examination, it shows exactly who I am in a nutshell. Although it is very difficult to achieve because you are named as a baby, I believe that your name should be something that shows who you are as a person.
When my mother married my older brother's father, she kept her last name for various reasons. Mostly, because she was forced to marry him and she knew she would eventually divorce him. So, my mother and my brother have a different last name than I do, which inevitably made me feel separate from them on a superficial level. Whenever we would go to "Smith Family Reunions" I would always feel as though one day my mother would tell me that I wasn't allowed to attend. When I went to family reunions on my biological father's side, my mother nor my brother would attend, because they were not Stevens'. It took me a long time to understand why this was and what was happening in my life. It was quite confusing, and it left me feeling like an outsider. Through this, though, I was able to find myself and who I am as an individual. This internal struggle affected me as an individual in my family as a whole; I am just Shaunaci in the eyes of my mother and brother, but to my father, I am Shaunaci Stevens, who is an entirely different person. Now that I don't spend nearly as much time with my family on my father's side, I have become less aware of the differences between my mother, brother, and I; I feel more united with my immediate family. What is in a name, anyway? Names should simply describe you or give insight to your personality, so I do not feel the same as Quindlen; by any other name, I would still be the person that I am today, because I do not let simple names define the complexity of my personality.
When my mother married my older brother's father, she kept her last name for various reasons. Mostly, because she was forced to marry him and she knew she would eventually divorce him. So, my mother and my brother have a different last name than I do, which inevitably made me feel separate from them on a superficial level. Whenever we would go to "Smith Family Reunions" I would always feel as though one day my mother would tell me that I wasn't allowed to attend. When I went to family reunions on my biological father's side, my mother nor my brother would attend, because they were not Stevens'. It took me a long time to understand why this was and what was happening in my life. It was quite confusing, and it left me feeling like an outsider. Through this, though, I was able to find myself and who I am as an individual. This internal struggle affected me as an individual in my family as a whole; I am just Shaunaci in the eyes of my mother and brother, but to my father, I am Shaunaci Stevens, who is an entirely different person. Now that I don't spend nearly as much time with my family on my father's side, I have become less aware of the differences between my mother, brother, and I; I feel more united with my immediate family. What is in a name, anyway? Names should simply describe you or give insight to your personality, so I do not feel the same as Quindlen; by any other name, I would still be the person that I am today, because I do not let simple names define the complexity of my personality.
