Emma. a name that many possess. It is derived from old German, with the meaning “universal” or “whole”. but in reality—it seems empty. 

When one says it aloud, it sounds used up. Blank. It holds no unique features like spelling or pronunciation. It's not pretty on paper. just a simple and common four letter word. I often get reminded of the color gray. Mainly because it's a pretty surface level color. It hasn’t got much of anything special to it. Think of an overplayed song. You hear it everywhere and it's nothing new. Just like the name Emma. 

But, I like to think that I’m not just simple. nor plain.

Although my name is basic, I am not. I love bright colors, exploring new things to do, going to new places, trying different style foods and clothing. I try to open my options and go beyond all the simple things, dig a little deeper.

But, I can’t see myself with any other name. There is no deep, deep story—but there is a story.

 When my parents had my sister, they gave her a name so her initials would be MAA, the same as my mothers. When they had me, they only thought it was fair for my father to have a child with the same initials as him, EKA. 

My parents went back and forth between the names Elyssa and Emma, until they put them down on two separate pieces of paper and threw them in a hat. My sister, only one and a half  at the time, was able to pick out one of the pieces of paper that was going to determine my name. She picked Emma. That is how my name came to be.

Though my name may be bland and boring, it is timeless. It's timeless like an old painting by Vincent Van Gogh. A piece that hundreds go to see a day, one that will never be forgotten nor that you get tired of hearing about.  Emma is more of a classic that works well in both childhood and adulthood. I couldn’t see myself with any other name, my parents gave me this one, so that is what I will forever continue to go by.