Ode to the St. Clair Family Name

"So you are just not finding the name in your system?

Well did you try period with no space?

How about period with space?

No period and no space?

How about all run together?"

St. Clair...

Two words

And in them,

Everything I know to be true.

Including it’s a bastard to find in computer systems.

Here is what St. Clair means to me:

It’s blue eyes

And dark eyebrows

It’s curly hair and big lips

Basically, we are monkeys.

And very proud of that fact

It’s skin problems

And bad backs

And not so fun allergies.

But it’s also a cool last name to be used as a first name

“St. Clair, wake up and pass the ball.”

It’s having a French last name

“Saint Clair, are you French?”

And feeling awkward about not

Being able to say

Well 

Anything more about that.

It’s a passion for people

And appreciating the simple things

Like summers at the Cape

And board games and laughter

And each other

It’s my anchor when storms set in

And my lifeline when I am sinking.

Or need a lift

It’s the sun that keeps me moving along a

– somewhat – predictable orbit

It’s where I turn to remember who I am

And what is most important.

"What's in a name? That which we call a St. Clair

By any other name would smell as sweet?"

I think so

St. Clair is me

My childhood

What shaped me

And it will always be.