Why Kaila with an E? Funny, you should ask. My name is E-K-A-I-L-A. The thing is whenever I have to introduce myself people tend to miraculously hear everything from, Mikayla to ???. People never tend to hear Ekaila, until I began saying, its Kaila with an E. All of a sudden, lights come on and you get, “oh, Ekaila!” Birds start to sing and butterflies erupt in celebration as they are able to connect with me through
my name. Here is the back story. Sometimes parents, especially West Indian parents tend to name their children using the first letter of one of the parents’ name. My dad’s name is Ecedro. Don’t even get me started on how to pronounce that one! My mom wanted to name me Kaila but decided to add the “E” in honor of my dad. Hence E-kaila, or Kaila with an E.
My parents were young and thought they were being creative. Hmmmm. At first, I would get annoyed to have to do the name dance every time I introduced myself until I realized that my weird name was a true identifier of who I am. I am not just talking about my name, as in we all have names. I am talking about my unique journey and experiences that make me, me. Sometimes people don’t understand what makes us tick. They ask questions like, why didn’t your mother call you Mikayla. Yes, I have been actually asked that. Huh?? Really? You don’t see me asking why wasn’t named Bob instead of Derrick. I digress. Like I was saying, I realized that my name like my journey is totally mine. And while there may be another Ekaila out there somewhere, my experiences are uniquely mine, but that doesn’t stop me from connecting with others.
I realized a long time ago that it is important to connect with people by working to understand their stories. I am often heard asking someone that I have just met, when is your birthday or where are you from as a conversation starter. My mom thinks it’s weird and often gives me the side-eye. LOL. When I started as a freshman in college, I realized that like my name, the things I experience helps me tell and live my story. So like my name, I will be sharing my unique story of growth. I am hoping that my story will connect with you as you follow and you experience your own growth and write your own story. Let’s grow together!