About 6 months ago I was sitting in an OBGYN's lobby, waiting on my postpartum checkup. I'd been waiting for what seemed like forever when a girl, obviously in her last trimester, sat down across from me. Being the friendly person that I am, I struck up a conversation with her (and besides, let's face it, pregnant women love to talk about their pregnancies).
"How far along are you?"
"32 weeks."
"Ahh, not long now! Do you know what you're having?"
"A girl."
"Oh, girls are so much fun. Do you have a name picked out?"
She hesitated. And then said,
"Yes, we do. It's 'Rivka Bithia'."
Cue awkward silence. I mean, what am I supposed to say?
RIVKA BITHIA. Are those even names? I'm sorry, but who does that to their child? Shannon and I fall along the lines of liking names that are unique but not too weird. He liked Benia for a boy. I vetoed it. I liked Hadassah for a girl. He vetoed it. And so on, until we settled on Hannah (Lane we had picked out before we were even pregnant).
I'm sorry but both Rivka and Bithia are both unique and weird. Rivka? Bithia? Together? That poor girl doesn't even get a normal middle name!
That poor child.
Someone please back me up here.
"...yet I will rejoice in the LORD, I will be joyful in God my Savior." -Habakkuk 3:18
She might have been Jewish. I know Rivkah is a Jewish name and a quick google search showed Bithiah as the name of Moses's foster mother in the Jewish Midrash. So, while the names sound strange to us, they probably aren't strange among the Jewish community.
ReplyDeleteHmm. Maybe so. I didn't even think about that. Hello, big sign flashing "ignorant" over my head. I still think they're weird though.
ReplyDeleteI have to agree with you there. I never would have thought about the Jewish names either Michelle, so you are not the only "ignorant" one! =P
ReplyDeleteThey are Jewish. My mom's Jewish name is Rivkah, which is a variant of Rebekah. However, her given name is Ruth. My grandmother didn't want her to have any Rebekah nicknames. Kind of funny. Anyway, now you know there is a heritage behind the names.
ReplyDeleteDon't feel bad, I would have thought they were strange too and I would have never know they were Jewish names!
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