Thursday, March 17, 2011

Unlucky

Bring on the 4-leaf clovers, green beer, leprechauns, and anything remotely Irish.  Today is the day to stake your claim in luck.  Today is Saint Patrick's Day.

Growing up in the church I was always told that there was no such thing as "luck" and that God is behind everything.  Yes, of course.  I do believe that God has a purpose to everything, even the terrible things which He redeems magnificently.

But then when I was in middle school I learned the meaning behind my name.  Mallory means "unlucky."  No joke.

At an age when you are searching for meaning in your identity, hoping that the name your parents bestowed upon you had some secret purpose behind it.  To find out that you are "destined" to be unlucky is one bound to give you a complex.

My mom says that they had no idea what my name meant when they wrote it on the birth certificate, and I believe her.  But for many years the meaning behind my name has lurked in the shadows taunting me.  Any time something unfortunate happened I would be reminded that my life is just purposed to be unlucky.  I have been tempted to blame every failed relationship, every closed door on the fact that I am inherently unlucky.

With friends claiming names with deeper meanings, "Beloved" "Child of God" "Powerful" "Poet" to turn around with "unlucky" was a total slap in the face.

This year I found a t-shirt with "Born Lucky" scrolled across the front.  And I just smirk when I wear it because I know I was born "unlucky."

But just because I may be deemed unlucky, does not mean I am unblessed.

Thanks Sheryl for opening my eyes to that fact.  

2 comments:

  1. True, we're always blessed in our mess :)

    I found out about ur awesome blog thru 20sb.

    I'm a follower.

    Please follow me too?

    www.single-unsingle.blogspot.com

    Stay blessed chica :)

    ReplyDelete