Heidi

What a beautiful name for such an innocent and curious girl willing to give care and love to those around her. Heidi, written by Johanna Spyri reminds me of a little Shirley Temple with black hair and eyes, gleaming with numerous inquiries instead of tap dances of precision. Heidi’s youth also reminds me of my childhood. I often ran a foot into the fields, inspecting rocks, bugs, weeds and wounded creatures. My callused feet would feel the occasional thorn or two, stopping only to remove them and be on my way again, freely bounding from the chicken coop to the horses barn wondering which animal I could take a hold of next between my little hands. What a wonderful life for a child to experience, roaming and learning in a big backyard. How grateful I am now for the small five acres I had then. Heidi had three mountains to explore. Even more surprising is that Heidi’s grandfather is so gentle and permissive of her free spirit, yet yielding to dangerous circumstances by frequently letting Heidi listen and see possible consequences. Today, the world is alarming full of dangerous predators, quite beyond what Mother Nature supplies. I understand why parents and grandparents must forbid a child many freedoms.

I think Heidi is a good name for my first child. Steven and I have thought of some possible names, most of which contain too many syllables, are full of harsh consonants, or remind us of other people that we try to not think about. I picked up the book Heidi this week because it is a classic that I have personally never read on my own. I have immediately fallen in love with it. It brings me memories, creates new ideas for raising my child, and makes me yearn for the old lifestyle of learning by doing.

Now everyone that knows me knows that I have one sister, whose name is Heidi.  I love her with all my heart. Perhaps she would be honored for me to name my child after her. Perhaps it would not be too confusing if I added a middle name for better identification purposes. Maybe Heidi Ann, or Heidi Lina, Heidi Karolina, Heidi Aileen, Allina, Eileen,… hmmm.

I have learned that the name Heidi is the short form of Adelaide, an old German name meaning “exalted nature”. This definition fits my situation perfectly since I have eagerly wanted a baby for so long, and have prayed and prepared by body to the best of what natural physical conditions I can portray. I had thought that previously, by nature or my own doing, I would not be permitted to conceive a child because the nature of my body had refused due to unknown damage or disfigurement.  Perhaps my own stress and depressing thoughts had indeed shut down my chances. It was only once I let go of the idea and notion that I had finally obtained it.