Emon
Emon
The name that I was given from
My Chinese relatives.
It's sound can be known through a Mandarin dialect.
I don't know it's entire meaning,
I tried asking my mom if she knows but she doesn't remember,
But it involves something with water.
Great, I'm wet.
I kept calling my Hong Kong Grandma,
"Emon! Emon! Emon!" Like it was her personal nickname.
She kept smiling when I called her by my name.
Either she liked being called that or
She didn't know English and nodded at my cuteness.
My mom tried to correct me:
No, no, no. "Emon" is your name, not Hong Kong Grandma's.
To I respond: Oh. And went back to calling Hong Kong Grandma "Emon".
As a kid, I didn't respond to my Chinese name
Because one: I thought it meant 'grandma'
And two: it was not on my birth certificate.
My real name is Asela.
Emon is a name my bio-father's side of the family gave me.
He and his brothers made fun of my name by pronouncing it as an obnoxious "Oh my God!" like it was a swear word that only they know.
My mom tried to defend me, but my uncle chirped,
Relax, it's just a joke.
but I didn't get that.
Emon became a memory as I mold myself as Asela.
Until Asela became a subject of
Asayla, Astella, Asahla, and, my favorite,
Sally.
Nobody got my name right the first time.
I grew tired of having to correct everyone,
wishing that my name was as simple as Ashley.
I listed potential names in my head, dreamt I would not have to deal with pronouncing "Ah-seh-la" to anyone!
But my dad halted and provided me a story of my name:
My mom didn't know what to name me when I was in her belly until she met
Dr. Asela Williams.
Her name wasn't Chinese or Japanese.
It came from a small town in Ethiopia.
She took care of my mom's pregnancy as Dr. Asela nurtures her and tells her that everything will be alright.
A kind-hearted, but strong woman.
My mom named me after her.
The same mom who defended me when my relatives mocked my name without a flinch.
My name's origin becomes clear.
I don't have desire to change my real name to Miranda or Emon.
I can change to my Chinese name to embrace my heritage and ignore that Asela means "small donkey" in Latin.
But you know what?
Asela shape me to who I am.
Asela gives my identity as a person who dreams to achieve her goals in life and love the people around her.
A reminder that I am unique, adorable, and caring.
Now, I don't mind correct people my name because I get hear them saying my name like it is a beautiful way to say "Wow!"
I may not be Emon, but
Damb, it's good to be Asela.
So, I'll reach out my hand to you.
And say,
Hello, my name is Asela.
Astella?
It's Asela.
But you were close!
This poem is about:
Me