History Makers (Part One: Sonora)

I’ve been wanting to write about the names of our children and why we chose them. Today seems to be a good day to start. We are waiting in the birthing room for our third child to be born: the third wonder of our own world! UPDATE: She came fast and is now here!

Daph and I have really enjoyed the naming process. We find it fascinating to discover the origins, meanings and other aspects of the names we have chosen. Naming our first two children was relatively easy and quick. Naming our third child has required much more thought.

Every child that comes into the world is a history maker. The world will never be the same again. The name that is given identifies the legacy that will be left. As parents, what an awesome privilege!

Since we have three children, I will write three entries looking into each name on its own. I’ll start with the oldest: Sonora.

So·no·ra   (from dictionary.com)

[suh–nawr–uh, –nohr–uh; Sp. saw-naw-rah]

Daph was the one to come up with the name Sonora. When I first heard it I loved it and thought it was a delightful sounding name. The name itself means pleasant sounding. It is very enjoyable to say. It’s origin is Spanish. In fact, there is a province in Mexico called Sonora and also the Sonoran Desert is there.

Daphne and I both very much enjoy the spanish culture. I’ve spent time in Costa Rica and Mexico on mission and adventure trips while Daphne has been to the Dominican Republic and Mexico on mission trips. In high school I took three semesters of Spanish. We also love the food! Daph is great at cooking Mexican food. I can’t handle the normally very spicy side of it, but if it’s toned down a little, I’m good. Daph, on the other hand, eats hot peppers with ease. Enchiladas, taco salad, empanadas, fajitas and quesadillas–just saying the names gets my taste-buds dancing! But I digress.

The first place Daphne heard the name was in a movie called Wild Hearts Can’t Be Broken. She also heard it when on an ministry internship in Phoenix where she visited Mexico a number of times. In the movie, based on a true story, a girl named Sonora Webster dreams something bigger for her life and finds a traveling horse diving show. During one of her dives, a mistake causes a bad impact with the water leaving her blind in both eyes. She struggles on and actually keeps diving while blind. Her life is a testimony to not settling for the mediocre and persevering through trials.

Some nicknames we use for Sonora are Nori, Nora, Sonora Dora (my mother-in-law’s), Princess and Sweetie among others.

Sonora is now four years old and has started Junior Kindergarten. She loves to dance, sing, play dress up, draw, play house, watch movies and make her own decisions with no one telling her what to do! She is a lovely little princess who is great at making friends and being cute. She lives up to her name as she is very pleasant to watch and listen to.

Sonora–let the name slide off your tongue. Let her make your history!