What IS in a name?  “A rose by any other name would smell as sweet,” at least, according to Romeo.  But when I was feeling overwhelmed with my decision to pick a name for my blog, every one I could think of was a real stinker.  So would the opposite of Romeo’s famous tagline apply?  Would my blog by any other name stink as much?

To say it was really hard for me to choose a name for my blog would be an understatement. When I first started out, I was like the actress who doesn’t own a tv. I was VERY new to the blogging world, and my recent exploration of that world exposed me to an overwhelming amount of absolutely adorable and clever blog names floating around in cyberspace.  I knew I’d be stuck with whatever name I chose, so I wanted something I wouldn’t be sick of in a few months.  My nerdy self loves a good pun, so as many times as I would giggle and think to myself, “Oh how CUTE that name is,” I would simultaneously sigh, thinking there was no way I would find something that catchy.  There was just no creative play on words that would work with my name!  So I started googling articles on “how to come up with a name for your blog.”  I tried it all.  I wrote down some of the topics I planned to cover in my blog. Then I wrote down words that described me, or what my goals were, and even just words that made me happy. They all sounded great, but I just couldn’t figure out how to configure them to make it sound not only cute and catchy, but also like me.

It wasn’t until I started hitting up my friends and family that I was able to hear how they envisioned the blog and their insight into my personality.  I knew I wanted to focus on the premise that making thoughtful decisions can lead to a fuller, more fulfilling life with less waste and more ability to bless others.  But I just. Couldn’t. Think. Of a NAME!

One evening, my sweet and supportive friend, Erin, sent me a text asking what I thought about “double portion.”  My heart began to race.  Goosebumps took over my skin, and I knew that was it.  At the risk of sounding dramatic, I have to admit my eyes even filled up with tears a little.  I couldn’t figure out why.  But when she said it was “true to who I am,”  I just knew  it.  That WAS IT!  All these other cute names that I could put together sounded okay, but I couldn’t OWN them.  They just weren’t “ME.”  And I wanted everything about this blog to be organic, honest, real, and true to who I am.  And I knew I had to figure out a way to apply that concept to my blog name.

So why “double portion”?  Well, the more obvious answer is that my goal with this blog was to encourage my friends to make informed decisions in travel, fashion, and life, in general, in an effort to live life to the fullest.  As the name implies, if you make those smart decisions, you can double your portions.  You could double your portion in buying two of the same super cute dress on sale or going to twice as many cities in Italy because you found a way to maximize your time and money spent.  Or you could double your portion of the most valuable commodity, time, and spend it on your own or with your loved ones because you didn’t waste it doing things in a less than efficient way.

So that’s the somewhat obvious part.  But the phrase “double portion” comes from a deeper, more personal place.  When my mom was pregnant with me, it was back in the day when you didn’t know what gender your baby would be until he or she was born.  That’s right. I’m ancient.  Calm yourself.  My mom was a baby Christian at the time and was praying and asking God for direction on what to name me.  During her talks with the Lord, she saw my name spelled out as if on a chalkboard.  “Elisha.”  “That seems nice!” she thought.  And that was that.

So at the baby shower, which at that time came after the baby was born so you could bring gender-specific goodies to the new parents, all the ladies from her church kept giving her gifts with Bible verses quoting scripture from the book of II Kings.  She thought it was curious, but she honestly had no clue of the relevance.  When she got home and began studying, she learned of the story of Elisha.  Elisha was a prophet who was mentored by another prophet named Elijah.  In Elijah’s old age, he asked Elisha what he could do for him before he was “taken away from him.”  Elisha asked Elijah for a “double portion of his spirit” so he could continue Elijah’s good works on earth.  Elijah told him it was a lofty request, but that if he was there when Elijah was taken from the earth, he would receive the double portion.  Elisha did, and in the end, the chapter indicates he performed twice as many miracles than Elijah in his lifetime.

So I always thought this was a cool story as a child and I enjoyed sharing it.  Not until I became an adult did I realize it could be a hard one to tell others.  Oh, you have a double portion of what– mental abilities?  Fortune?  Athletic ability? Dang.  Full of yourself much? So when I knew that was the concept I needed to introduce through my blog, I started reading up a bit more. It was honestly not until recently, as I researched the theologic studies on the relationship between those two men, that I realized Elisha didn’t want the double portion for selfish reasons.  It wasn’t for fame or because he wanted a life double as fabulous as Elijah’s.  He wanted the ability to bless double the people around him that Elijah did.  He wanted to continue Elijah’s good works and honor him by doing twice as many good things even when he was gone.

There was one thing that my parents always emphasized during their discussions with me about Elisha.  He had to be brave enough to ask for it. He had to be willing to work to get where he could reach those in need and bless them.  The double portion he received was like a bubble in the sky that COULD enable him to bring double the blessings to those around him but ONLY IF  he climbed the ladder and grasped it with his hands.

So the truth is, I don’t know what God was telling my mom I would receive in double portion.  I don’t even think it is a “thing.”  Perhaps it’s just that through this blog and in this life, I have the ability to bring blessings and happiness and joy to double the amount of people around me if I seize the opportunities afforded me.

So this is my ladder.  I was scared to climb it at first.  I was afraid I would fall and people would watch me and I’d hear them laughing all the way down to the cold, hard floor.  And that might still happen. But I realize this isn’t about how I appear to others.  It’s not about my ego.  I quite simply have a love of planning and research and scouting out great deals.  And I love to share those with people around me who don’t have the time or desire to spend their time doing it themselves.    I know that it’s not bringing on world peace, but I hope it brings YOU a double portion of whatever is important to you. Thanks for letting me be a part of your life!

XOXO

Elisha