Hope Is My Middle Name

by Emily Conrad



Hope isn’t my middle name for nothing.

When my sister spoke those words—her middle name is Hope—I got to thinking about how maybe I ought to do more to celebrate my middle name, Rose, which has been passed down to me from my mom.

Gifts from people I love are special to me. Whether physical things or a middle name, they remind me of those I love and relationships that sustain me. So, I’ve always appreciated the history of my middle name, but I haven’t really celebrated it.

I have one little rose bush, and I’m sure I could plant some more. Maybe I will.

But for the first time in my life, I find myself a little bit jealous of my sister’s name. Namesake history aside, I’d rather have hope than roses.