Do you ever have one of those moments where the light goes on? Where after years of not paying attention you finally notice something that you never had before? An epiphany? Well I did the other day.
Remember my post about nicknames? Where I talked about how much my family loves nicknames? We don’t just love them, we need them to survive. They are addicting to make up and give out and once you start you just can’t stop.
Well when I told my 4 year old niece Peanut that I was having a baby she quickly asked if it was a boy or a girl. I told her that Nana thought it was a boy and asked her opinion on what I should name him. She thought for a few seconds, giggled and then said, “I think you should name him Candy Bar”. Of course her giggling and thinking she was so clever made me laugh and I totally agreed with her, Candy Bar it was. So since then I have referred to the baby as Candy Bar, which is only fitting since I call her Peanut Butter. But notice that I said I have called the baby that, not WE.
So it was a few days after Peanut bestowed this name upon my unborn child when I was laughing with my Dad over her great choice. I mentioned to him that John never calls the baby Candy Bar and then it hit me. My light bulb moment. For the last 8 years we have been together, not once has John ever called anyone in my family by their nickname, EVER. I sat there on the phone with my Dad stunned at my new revelation. My husband doesn’t do nicknames, why had I never noticed this? I mean he doesn’t even call my brother Ralph (Clint) by his, and of all the people you really should call by their nickname it is Ralph.
My mind was boggled, I couldn’t even fathom how for the last 8 years I had missed this. Honestly how do you miss something like that. It was hilarious once I finally realized it and started thinking back. This poor guy had to marry into a family with a raging addiction to nicknames and he never uses them. He sees no point in calling someone something other than their given name, perish the thought I know. We had a discussion about it that night and I let him know that Candy Bar was just the first of many, many nicknames to come, and most of them were going to be from me. Good thing for me he is ok with that.