Growing up, I thought I had a special name because it was spelled differently. Yup, no y in my name. I was proud of the i in my name. I also figured my middle name of Lynn complimented Ami nicely. Ami Lynn. Two short pops. Now, enter if you will, my uncle. While my family sat around a picnic table, he told me he was so happy to see his Ami Lou. Lou! Who is Ami Lou? I thought maybe I heard him wrong, so I giggled out that I was Ami Lynn not Lou. Excitedly, my uncle went to shake my hand and said how nice it was to see his Ami Lou. Man. There he goes again. I thought, I’m seven and I know my name and there is no Lou involved with it. Again, I reminded my uncle of my real name, Ami Lynn. Well I tell you I thought maybe he needed hearing aids or something because he just wasn’t getting it. Over and over and louder and louder I kept saying, “Ami Lynn. Lynn, Lynn, Lynn!” I kept telling him how easy it was to remember a name. I just didn’t understand how he didn’t understand this. All the while he was laughing! How can you laugh at this? You’re not comprehending what I’m telling you. That is not a laughing matter. Right before I was about to burst, he came to me and gave me a great big hug. You know those hugs where you can just feel the love being poured out? It was that kind of hug. He looked me in the eye and said, “I’m teasing you. You’re my one and only Ami Lynn.” I was so relieved. He did understand. To this day though, when he sees me he gets excited to see his ‘Ami Lou Lynn.’
