So what, named after a Saint. I was meant to be a pretty girl’s name, not a Saintly woman’s name I’d have to live up to somehow. Never would live up to anyone’s expectations of me, let alone a SAINT’S! St. Teresa. Great. Born on a Saint’s Day, named after a Saint. Roman Catholic Families need to get a real life if this is only what makes them happy. Joseph, James, Martin, John (4 brothers) and me. Rose and Marylou were not born on or near a Saint’s Day and escaped what is my fateful demise.
I continually get, “which Saint Teresa were you named after?” Like, why is there more than ONE St. Teresa (Theresa, etc.?) Who cares, I am not a saint as you shall see.
Mom and Dad, so the recent story goes, argued over it and you had to have a name for your baby before you could leave the hospital, back in the day. Dad won. Much as I love my dad, God rest his soul, I hate the name Teresa and how my family says it very slowly “TEREEE-SA!” Cringe.
Teresa Ann it was and so it stayed. Until we got home.
Aunt Lottie said, “We are neither Italian nor Spanish!” There’s no way she looks like a Teresa. Tess is her name.” Whew, thank goodness for Dear Great Aunts from Connecticut and Cape Cod by way of NE PA!
Tess of the d’Urbervilles by Thomas Hardy. Tess the 1979 Movie starring Nastassja Kinski of the book. Miss Tess Mocker. Tess Trueheart, Dick Tracy’s girlfriend. Tess McGill of Working Girl movie. TESS (Transiting Exoplanet Survey Satellite) a planned satellite for discovering exoplanets. Me, Tess. TesstheFirst. I’ve not yet met another Tess and hope never to. It’s unique. Unlike the millions of Teresa’s out there all of us named after a saint.
I have many plays on my own name and nicknames by many friends and family:
Tree, Tessera, Tessica, TesstheHostesswiththeMostest, TesstheOneandOnly, TesstheFirst, JustTess. My favorite is Tree but is not socially accepted to be called an object as your name. Except “Dick” is? Let’s not go there. For now.
My real name picked out before I was born on St. Teresa’s Day was “Valerie”. I secretly wish to be renamed Valerie but instead stick with Tess and all the expectations of living up to that name, but it suits me well, Tess does. And so I shall stay the course. Pay $100 to change it officially someday from Teresa to Tess. That’ll show ya. Dad will roll over in his grave. Sorry Dad, I love ya but wish to reflect how I really feel and do what I really want to do someday.
Until I think of another nifty idea to post, Here’s my first blog post and there’s the reason for my blog’s name in a nutshell. I could go on. But I shall withhold.
-Best, Tess
