How The Hurricane Got Her Name

I have twenty-five years of family life to look back on and tons of stories to tell; it's going to be a little difficult picking and choosing.

I'd like to tell you have how Social Hurricane got her nickname.  I use aliases on my blogs for privacy's sake: on a previous blog my twin brother, with his consent, was always referred to as "Skippy."  But I didn't come up with calling Second Daughter "Hurricane."

Many years ago when Second Daughter was a sturdy preschooler Adored Wife's grandmother came to visit us at our home in West Virginia.  Grandmama was a small, fragile eighty-something year old and a delightful lady.  Born in Switzerland and married in Argentina, she'd not come to America until my father-in-law was elementary school age.  She spoke several languages, had a charming accent, and very European manners and style.

What with one thing and another Second Daughter, who knew she was coming, didn't see her until church Sunday morning.  The preschooler spies her across the sanctuary, charges her delightedly yelling "Grandmama!", runs full tilt into the small elderly woman giving her an enthusiastic hug around the knees, and knocks Grandmama down.

Fortunately there was a pew right behind her and she wasn't injured.  And she thought it was hilarious.

In conversation with my father-in-law later on the phone Grandmama related "[first daughter], she is such a sweetheart.  But, oh, that [second daughter], whoof, she is a little hurricane!"

And Grandmama never called Second Daughter by name again.  She was "Little Hurricane" from that point forward.  And Little Hurricane was delighted by the nickname and she and her great-grandmother got along famously.

Even fifteen or so years later the name still fits.  Except not so little anymore.

Hope all's well out there, friends, and God bless.