It's the name I suggested to Mike when a precious foster baby entered our home. A baby who already had a name. A baby we didn't know would one day become OUR son.
Chip.
"Are you sure it's a nickname for Charles?' Mike asked when I mentioned it.
Yes, I was sure.
Chip.
A cute way to describe our sweet, tiny, Charlie.
"I like it." said Mike.
Chip.
It was the name of my classmate's brother.....and was my brother's classmate. The name he was called all the time, except for formal, official things. The name that, for the past 12 years, has gone hand in hand with his given name, Charles.
Because, in every newspaper article, memorial, or other tribute, the young man who lost his life when the World Trade Center Towers collapsed is recognized by both his given name as well as his nickname.
Chip.
Would I have come up with this nickname regardless? Maybe. But, I'm not really sure I would have made the Charles/Chip connection if I hadn't remained so aware of it these past 12 years.
The "offhand" knowledge of a nickname that works for a child named 'Charles' contains a story that will truly allow our family to Never. Forget.
And it fits our little boy perfectly.
