Fayth Kemp Personal Column

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Gotta Have Fayth

On December 29, 2000, my mother brought me into this world and since then I have been called Fayth. My name is not “fayf, fayte, or faith”, my name is Fayth. F-a-y-t-h is how it is spelled. My name derived from Middle English and it means belief. It is a simple name, but the girl it belongs to is unique and extraordinary.

“Why did you name me ‘Fayth’?” I have asked my mother this question a million times until I finally got my answer Spring Break of 2016. I was born in the year 2000, only a year after my grandmother, Faye, had passed away. While my grandmother was on her deathbed, my mother came down from our house in Louisiana to visit her. My grandmother had sensed that my mom was tense and not acting the same so she asked her, “Are you pregnant?”, my mother denied repeatedly. After a few weeks, my grandmother had unfortunately passed away and when she did, my mother discovered that she was expecting a child. That child was me.

Mom told me that I was her faith child because i was a blessing that kept her faith strong after she lost her mother and that was how I got my name. She spelled it with a “y” because it was in honor of her mother Faye. Throughout my years of school, I have never met anyone with the same name spelling as me, and I’d like to keep it that way.. “I like the way you spell your name.” or “That’s a pretty name.” have always been common compliments to me. Who knew that a monosyllabic name like mine would be so attention-grabbing?

When I think of the name Faith, I think of a simple down-to-earth girl who is comfortable in her own skin. When I think of my name, Fayth, I think of a girl who stands out, who isn’t afraid to take risks, and who enjoys life. Fayth is an intelligent girl who doesn’t always know the answer, but will strive to be the best of the best. She is a girl who likes a challenge whether it  be mentally or physically.

Fayth does not have a nickname because her name can not be altered. Fayth is afraid of nothing because she is fearless, strong, bold and beautiful. Fayth is her own rock; she depends on nobody but herself. Fayth is the person everyone likes, for she has this radiating disposition about her. Fayth is irreplaceable. Fayth is one in a million.

I like that my name is unique because it makes me unique. Fayth is a soft-sounding name that rolls of the tongue easily. I have imagined myself as an Amanda or Kim, yet none of those names seem to fit me or my personality. The name Fayth was meant for me to have and I have no intention of giving it up. Our names do define who we are, they are a representation of who we are on the inside and on the outside.

A name is not just a label. Some people think that if you call someone or something another name, that it won’t change internally or externally. It’s like how Juliet wants Romeo to no longer be a Montague because if he wasn’t, he would still be her Romeo. Let’s think about this, if Romeo wasn’t a Montague he wouldn’t feud with the Capulet’s and they probably would not have met. A name can somewhat determine your destiny and who you are. Our names are part of identity and without it we would feel incomplete. My name is mine and mine only and I am proud of that. I am Fayth.