Cherrymae : Like the fruit & the month
“What’s in a name?”
A few years ago I tried to renew my Belizean passport, which I had done twice before quite easily. However, this time I was told that it couldn’t be done. Why? There was a discrepancy in the spelling of my name on my birth certificate. With a name like Cherrymae, so many things could have gone wrong. Was it spelled Cherymae, with one “r”? Or Cherriemae? Or Cherriemay? Well, I had noticed the difference in spelling but it hadn’t mattered the other times I renewed my passport. This time, however, it was after 9/11 and regulations had been tightened.
So now, I had a decision to make. I talked to my mother who blamed the maternity nurse for not following her instructions to the letter. Instead of submitting Cherrymae for my birth certificate as my mother had asked, she wrote Cherrymay… And there it is! I was taught from the get go to spell my name with an “e” at the end and I had lived with it like this all of my life!
I decided to get the name on the birth certificate changed. It took months! So much paperwork flowed back and forth between New York and Belize City! In the end, it was worth it
This name has gotten me a lot of positive attention over the years because it is unique. But the most special to me was when someone pointed out that the Latin adjective “pulcherrimae” had my name in it (almost, anyway) and that it means “beautiful” or “glorious.”
Just like the fruit we love so much and you know what? The month isn’t so bad either. So there you have it: Cherrymae Designs! A unique name with a juicy history.
Delicious cherries looking fresh on one of my little plates. Click the photo to visit my shop and see some of my new products!