Beth Nolan

EN101

Ms. Erin Hobey

7 October 1999

An interesting tradition has been happening in my family for the past few generations. On my mother's side, the eldest daughter has been given the same name of Mary Elizabeth for years. I happen to be the fifth generation. My family is a mix of mostly Irish and English, and this name has been thought of as well suited to our family. Because of our charming tradition, a problem arose; we needed to distinguish ourselves, so nicknames became necessities because the name was used so often. Although I dearly love my ancestors, they have left me in an unusual predicament. I am expected to keep up this tradition if I should ever happen to have a daughter.

The name Mary Elizabeth is very traditional and meaningful. "Mary" originated from the Hebrew language and means "sea of bitterness". "Elizabeth" is also of Hebrew origin, and it means "oath of God". Both names are also from the Bible. The two names are often used together as well, and with their religious backgrounds they were considered good names for a daughter. Throughout New England, where my family has primarily lived since emigrating from Europe, old-fashioned names were frequently used and still are today. Thus, the tradition of the oldest daughter being named Mary Elizabeth in my family was born.

Traditions are very important and meaningful, yet they also have their dilemmas. When so many Mary Elizabeth's are members of the same family, the problem of determining one's own identity arises. The first Mary Elizabeth was called "Lizzie". She was born in the 19th century and would probably be amazed if she knew that her tradition is still living. Her eldest daughter was "Mamie", whom I had the privilege of knowing although she died when I was a young child. From my memories of her, I remember a gentle lady who had seen many changes in her lifetime. Mamie's daughter was just named "Mary", and I haven't yet discovered if Mary (my grandmother) ever had a nickname during her childhood. She has seen a lot in her lifetime; growing up during the Great Depression, and seeing her husband go off to fight the Second World War. My mother came with the Baby Boom and was nicknamed "Betsy". She grew up during the fabulous fifties and turbulent sixties. Then came myself, "Beth", the first of the namesakes to go to college. With at least the past two generations, friends and even family members have been unaware of the tradition because of the nicknames being used so often, yet the connection will always be there.

Being the fifth Mary Elizabeth in a long line of women before me, I am faced with choices that I must deal with in the future. If I ever have a daughter, I will be expected to keep up the tradition and give her the name that has been a legacy to my family for so many years. Even though I might rather name my daughter something else, I feel that, in a way, it is my responsibility to keep this practice of using this name in my family alive. Also, with there already being so many Mary Elizabeth's, and even relatives on the other side of my family sharing either name, it will become more difficult to think up nicknames and keep all of the names strait.

Overall, I am proud of the legacy my ancestors have left for me, and I am very proud to share their name. I can tell future generations of the remarkable women that came before them, and each of us will be well remembered in our family's history. Last Mother's Day, I made a card for my Mom with a picture of each of us taken at approximately the same age, and she was very moved. You can see the story of our lives happening, from the changes in the fashion of our clothes to the looks in our eyes, and I know that I will always have the memories and stories to hold on to.