Naming a Baby

It took a few days before the royals (William and Kate) of England could name their newborn.

I think they might have consulted so many people (or were pressured by even more people) and reviewed history to finally decide on George Alexander Louis, who will be known as Prince George of Cambridge.

Unlike ordinary mortals or commoners like us, royals are constrained and constricted by so many rules and considerations, befitting their positions in the monarchy.

In contrast, or far removed from royal protocol, many kids who are called Mateo these days (since the year 2001 when the first Oh, Mateo! book in the series saw print) were named by just one toddler or a pre-school kid—with no pressure, no consultation, no historical research, and no fanfare.  

In my book signing sessions through the years, mommies have regaled me with delightful tales on how these little Mateos were named, and their stories are so uncannily similar. 

This is a prototype:

Marco's parents and grandmother have been reading to him Oh, Mateo! books before his bedtime or any free time from age one or earlier. He has then constantly joined Mateo in his adventures in every book (15 in all).  

When his mom was pregnant with her second child, and Marco was five, she thought aloud, “I wonder what we should name your baby brother.”

“Mateo,” Marco said. His list of choices had only one name—Mateo. 

 

And Mateo it is (left). Big brother Marco (right) is now eight. 

While I was reading the news about the international fuss on the royals' choice of a name for their baby, I remembered the tales of how the Mateos were named. That put a big smile on my face—a smile that will definitely come again when I see more photos of the royal baby named in a different manner.  

I am particularly thrilled by brothers Marco and Mateo because their names are reminiscent of two of my Bible heroes, Mark and Matthew.

Both apostles had the honor of seeing our Savior face-to-face and of writing about how His grace was offered at the cross to all men—royals or commoners—of all generations, till He comes again.