Three Syllables

My son’s name is Gabriel.

Not Gabe.

Why is that so hard for people to understand???


The Lord is My Strength — that’s what it means. I want the whole thing rolling off your tongue. The whole thing. All three syllables. Thankyouverymuch. 🙂

7 Replies to “Three Syllables”

  1. awww… we once had a lady at our old church call Ethan “E-E” and it rubbed me SO the wrong way. I understood she wanted to call him something that sounded more endearing to her and a lot of times people think nicknames just make a name seem more affectionate. I wouldn’t worry about it. Just remember you get to call him whatever you want in your own home 😉

  2. I’m liking this post, particularly your insistence on the right number of syllables in his name. Parents *should* name their kids the names they want them called, and others *should* honor that prerogative.
    Some people are just super susceptible to the draw of creating/using nicknames as a way of showing affection, as evidenced by some of the incredible and embarrassing and hilarious nicknames in my family. 🙂 But if acquaintances started slapping these on, rather than parents, or big siblings, yes, that might be annoying.

  3. Gabriel is so “Manly” hehe and perfect and love the meaning.It would not be the same to have the meaning get as far as “The Lord is my…” and stop there. =)

    I can wholeheartedly agree with this as someone who rarely gets called be her full name outside of her circle of family and friends.
    My family does call me “Jac” and so do close friends.
    But why, oh why is it that whenever I am introduced to someone or meet someone, it is an automatic shortening (?) to “Jackie”. A name which I really do not care for.

  4. I agree! 🙂
    Now-a-days-, it seems so many people take leeway with names and I really feel that they should honor your wishes as to what you call your son. I’d rather someone not call me something I’ve never been called by before. (One thing that gets to me at times is a certain relative who calls me Sammie…. I feel like a toddler again. Or a boy.)

  5. My daughter’s name is Abigail – not Abby! It means “her father’s joy.” A quick verbal abbreviation I can understand ONCE IN A WHILE, but writing it out is the part that really grates on my nerves. (Esp when people take the time to write “Miss Abby Vance” – um, no!) If someone is trying to be formal about it – then they should call her Miss Virginia Abigail Vance because that’s her name! She even introduces herself that way. She never says, “please, call me Abby.”

    In high school people tried to call me “Mar”… WTheck? that last letter just too much for you? Now I’m a female horse?

    We all had nicknames growing up, but they weren’t the kind that murdered the beauty of the names my mother specifically chose for us. She said we all had official names and then affectionate ones. It worked out for us because the affectionate names were only used by our family.
    Sarah Elizabeth (aka Sunshine)
    Mary Catherine (aka Mary Mine)
    Laura Victoria (aka Boo b/c she was quite a surprise to my then 42-year-old mother! 😉 )

    I always enjoyed our special names and now have affectionate names (and songs) for both of my girls.

  6. i’m sorry melissa. i thought it was cute to tease you and call him “baby Gabe-y” ~ i knew you didn’t like it. i didn’t realize how much it really did bother you. did i write that in his birthday card? and for the rest of the people who do that for years to come; try to believe the best about them. they are not trying to be disrespectful or spiteful. they are trying to connect with you, or trying to feel on the “inner circle” of friendship with you. that’s what nicknames are about; a special name of endearment. don’t get bitter…God overlooks plenty of our etiquette blunders, and we can do the same for others. i told an older woman about my pet peeve – when strangers say “boy you have your hands full” as if children are not a blessing. but she encouraged me to refuse to give in to pride and haughtiness in their “wrongness” or allowing their comments to breed anger, and instead, to recognize it as an attempt to connect. they are trying to reach out to you in some way. don’t make people think that they can’t do ANYTHING right in your eyes.

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