What's in a Name?

Today, in the grocery store, a lady looked at my little girl and said, "What's her name?"  I replied, "Karis."  She pondered a few moments and said, "Carrot, hi Carrot."  The women behind the bakery counter chimed in, "Hi Carrot."  I walked over to the ladies, and with a smile on my face said, "It's Karis.  Like Paris, but with a K."

Karis, not Carrot

People often ask me something like, "Karis?  I've never heard of it.  Where did it come from."  But, they don't say whether or not they like it (not that I care).  One Sunday morning in college, I was playing hooky from church.  The church I attended in Nacogdoches broadcasted a Sunday school class, so from my dorm room bunk bed, I viewed the lesson.  The teacher mentioned the word "charis," and he explained that it is Greek for "grace."  I had never heard this word before, but I thought it would be a pretty girl name.  Since then, I've always wanted to have a daughter and name her Charis.
Years later, when Michael and I were expecting our first child, we discussed baby names.  I told him that I love the name Charis.  He said, "I know a Charis, and I love that name."  Well that was easy!  I suggested that we change it to Karis, with a K, so the teachers don't pronounce the "ch" during roll call.
I'm not sure what we'll do about the "carrot" problem.  Poor kid.
We love our Karis.  The name suits her perfectly!