India Ruth: Behind the Name

As I mentioned in my first (and only, sorry second child) blog about this pregnancy, the day I found out I was pregnant was the same day Ben landed in India for a two-week mission trip in the red light district of Mumbai. In that very bewildering, wonderful, surprising moment, it crossed my mind: if it is a girl we could name her India.

It stuck with me, and when Ben returned - that's another story completely, worst airport reunion EVER - and I told him the news, I also mentioned that name idea. He told me he'd have to think about it as he processed all he had witnessed on his trip. Plus, we wouldn't know for another twelve or so weeks whether it was even a girl.

Funnily enough, we never even discussed boy names. I said that I thought it would be another boy, but her name never left my mind. India. India. India. And then at my 20 week ultrasound, there she was. Our daughter! Ben said he thought we should do it. So India she became. 

The middle name took a little more work. One syllable sounded best. Vowel heavy sounded bad - India already had plenty of "i" and "a" and "e" sounds in it. Ruth was always a name I had liked, and it has significance for our family. It was the middle name of my aunt, my dad's sister Mary, who died from breast cancer at 40. Since Hudson carries my dad's middle name (Patrick), it seemed like a perfect fit.

So that's how we came up with India Ruth. I hope her name always helps us to think of the beautiful and hopeful and precious, that which shines out despite the darkness.