Tuesday, February 20, 2007

New name

I decided to stick with St. Elizabeth Ann Seton as my confirmation name sake. Part of it is her example of Christian piety and role in education, and part of it is honoring my grandmother, also named Elizabeth. My gran is the one who taught me the poem "Explained," by A.A. Milne:

Explained

Elizabeth Ann
Said to her Nan:
"Please will you tell me how God began?
Somebody must have made Him. So
Who could it be, 'cos I want to know?"

And Nurse said, "Well!"
And Ann said, "Well?
I know you know, and I wish you'd tell."
And Nurse took pins from her mouth, and said,
"Now then, darling, it's time for bed."

Elizabeth Ann
Had a wonderful plan:
She would run round the world
till she found a man
Who knew exactly
how God began.

She got up early, she dressed, and ran
Trying to find an Important Man.
She ran to London and knocked at the door
Of the Lord High Doodelum's coach-and-four.

"Please, sir (if there's anyone in),
However-and-ever did God begin?"
The Lord High Doodelum lay in bed,
But out of the window, large and red,
Came the Lord High Coachman's face instead.
And the Lord High Coachman laughed and said:
"Well, what put that in your quaint little head?"

Elizabeth Ann went home again
And took from the ottoman Jennifer Jane.
"Jenniferjane," said Elizabeth Ann,
"Tell me at once how God began."
And Jane, who didn't care much for speaking,
Replied in her usual way by squeaking.

What did it mean? Well, to be quite candid,
I don't know, but Elizabeth Ann did.
Elizabeth Ann said softly, "Oh!
Thank you, Jennifer. Now I know."

From Now We Are Six by A. A. Milne

Friday, February 16, 2007

Confirmation name

I received a letter yesterday from the Church about our upcoming rites of initiation. We have the option of choosing a confirmation name. I had initially chosen Elizabeth Ann, to honor Elizabeth Ann Seton. The problem is, now I have too many choices. I'm torn between: