I don't want to be a raisin

My good friend Jon is "Alice in Wonderland."

She can't help it. She's beautiful and always feminine and amazed and excited. "Alice" fits perfectly on her name tag.

But when the name was bestowed, it didn't sound so adorable to her.

"Alice in Wonderland" labeled her as lost and unaware and living in a fairytale. The name hurt in the way words can always hurt you ... even if they never break your bones.

Several of my friends told of other sticky names that were clinging -- unwelcome -- to their hearts: Fatty, Jerk, Stuck-up, Liar, Irresponsible.

Just to name a few.

"Julius, the Baby of the World," could be my all-time favorite kid book. In the book, Julius's parents goo and coo over him, but his feisty sister, Lily, calls him "a raisin" and says "a raisin tastes like dirt."

We, like baby Julius, don't want to be a raisin OR taste like dirt.

If you listen to the names other people give you, you will be crippled and handicapped. Take those to heart? You'll never feel good about yourself. You will always be insecure. You will hear voices -- those seventh-grade girls whispering: "high waters" or "greasy head" or "loser with a big L."

My friends had to get some new names.

A little bit of looking revealed some welcome name tags written by the God of the Universe.

Some of our favorites:

Friend of God

Better than an Angel

Expensive

Brand New

Powerful in God

Wise Person

Extra-terrestrial

And here's one for Jon:

"Straight-up Royalty."

But please, your highness, just every now and then, can we call you "Alice"?