What's in a Name?

Well, yesterday was our last day to visit the orphanage before we return in a few weeks for our court date.  We visited as usual, except that this time we were in Lera's classroom instead of Vitalik's.



The first few days, Lera was holding our hands and they would both cheerfully interact with us as we walked down the stairs to leave after each visit... and now THIS!  I think that they will make GREAT American teenagers!!  I have to laugh at my love-sick self, because even from this angle, I find them both just breath-takingly gorgeous!  

 I was kind of nervous the whole time knowing that at the end of the visit, we would be telling the kids what "new names" we have selected for them.  It is just such an odd thing to be telling a teenager what their new name will be.  Anyone who has had the privilege of naming a child knows the special energy that goes into this exercise.  It is almost sacred.  But of course, most of us name our children when they are babies, and we don't have to worry what our children will think of the names we have carefully selected for them. 

Thankfully, our translator was here for this visit, so with his help, we told the kids about their names.  Before we began, they started having a discussion with the translator, and he cheerfully talked back and forth with them for several sentences while Eugene and I stood listening, lost as usual.  Then he smiled cunningly and explained, "They asked, 'Can we keep at least part of our names?' and I teased them, saying, 'Oh, you need to have veryAmerican names.' ..."   ACK - don't tease them!  And so we began.

I put my hand on each of their heads respectively and said, "Vitalik" and "Lera"... "Good Names" ... so that they wouldn't have to worry about that part any more.  And then with the translator's help, I told each of them the rest of the story.

LERA ANNE
Lera First... I think that you know that my mother's name is Laura.  My grandmother was named Anne; she was very special.  All of my life, I thought that I would have a daughter named "Laura Anne" ... but we never had a "Laura Anne" ... and now, God has given us "Lera Anne" instead ... this is even better.  She offered to be Larua, and we said, "no, Lera is a beautiful name.  We love your name."  The translator then explained to her that there are a couple of specific sounds that don't translate exactly into English.  So with the best English translation, Lera will rhyme with "Sarah" ... which will be a little different than the Russian pronunciation than she is used to, but she seemed pleased. 

VITALIY MICHAEL
Now for Vitaliy (Vitalik is actually a nickname for Vitaliy).
I have been researching your name - Vitaliy.  It comes from the Latin word, "Vitalis" meaning, "Full of Life."  There could be no better name for you, because you are definitely full of life!  There is a light that shines in you.  You are very special.  (In English, we have several words which originate from the same Latin root - Vitamin, Vital, and best of all, Vitality!)   Michael is Eugene's middle name also.  It is common for the oldest son to share a part of the father's name.  We did not do this with Spencer, because it just did not feel right to us.  Now we understand that Spencer was not to be our oldest son.  It is very right for you to have this name.  Vitalik responded as he often does, saying in English, "I understand." (note for inquiring minds:  Vitalik is pronounced with short i sounds and the a says ahhh.  so it's vi-TAHL-ik)

Then I said, "okay?  good?"  and they both replied in the affirmative.
I also gave them both little notes with their new names written in Russian and English in both printing and cursive, so that they can practice writing them.  It was kind of serious, and then Lera burst out laughing saying awkwardly over and over, "Lera EHNN!"  with the "anne" sounding kind of like an injured animal!  The name sounds hillarious for a girl who is accustomed to Russian female names with many syllables and generally ending in an elegant "a" sound.  It made me laugh too, which was kind of a relief.

We posed for a few pictures and then said goodbye.  The mood was kind of serious, but none of us cried, which I was glad of.  We will be back in a few weeks afterall.  Honestly, I'm not sure which is harder for them... that we are leaving now or that they will soon be leaving for America.  It is definitely what they want and they are excited about it.  Still, it will not be easy for them at all.  Their whole life has been here, and in many ways it's been a good life.  Their teachers, their counselors, their friends have been their family... and then, of course, they will have to learn a new language and a new culture.  Leaving with us will ultimately be a great blessing, but it will come at a great cost to them.  They are both very brave, and very resilliant, and they will have a loving family and community to help them get through the pains of transition.

In the car, I felt really relieved to have those steps behind us.  Whew!  We took the 15-hr train back and really enjoyed a good night's sleep in our car.  Now we are in our Kyiv apartment and will leave tomorrow  before the sun comes up.  We will return home late Sunday night. 

Thankfully, it seems that all has gone very well with the snafu (parental right termination doc correction) that delayed our process.  Our best guess is that we will be home for 2 weeks and will then return for court.