Remember that a man’s name is, to him, the sweetest and most important sound in any language. ~Dale Carnegie
The name we give to something shapes our attitude toward it. ~ Katherine Paterson
Every parent knows that when naming a child that the name becomes more than just something that identifies them, it becomes part of who they are. As part of a foreign adoption you need to send the American name for your child back with the referral acceptance. This was difficult for Joe and I, but we established the following criteria: 1) saints name 2) not already taken 3) significant meaning.
We started considering many names and could not agree, or they were already taken. We finally decided on Elainea (E-lay-na). This is to honor Pam’s Grandmother (Elaine) and Joe’s Step-mother (Helen).
You might be asking "How did we come up with Elainea?" Elaine is a derivative of Helen. Elainea is a derivative of Eliana which in Hebrew means "My God has answered".
Above all we want Elainea to remember that she is an answer to our prayers. She was predestined to become part of our family and that it is God’s plan for her to be born of another mother and become a member of our family.
What about her patron saint? St. Helen was the wife of a Roman General, Constantius Chlorus, and became the mother of Constantine the Great. She embraced Christianity late in life; but her incomparable faith greatly influenced her son Constantine, who became the first Christian emperor. She delighted to assist the poor; and by her almsdeeds showed herself a mother to the indigent and distressed.
In her eightieth year she made a famous pilgrimage to Jerusalem, with the ardent desire of discovering the cross on which Christ had suffered. The miraculous discovery and verification of the true Cross is still celebrated by the Church on May 3rd. Helen built a beautiful Basilica on Mount Calvary to receive the precious relic. She built two other famous churches in Palestine to honor the sacred sites of Our Lord’s life, one at the site of His Ascension, and the other, known as the Basilica of the Nativity, in Bethlehem.
Saint Helen’s influence on her son Constantine is recognized by all historians. He always honored her in every way. When past the age of 80, Saint Helen returned from Jerusalem to Rome, dying there in 328. Her Feast Day is celebrated on the 18th of August.
It has been exactly one year today that the Chinese government logged our application for adoption. I take comfort in knowing that she is one year closer to coming home. We thank those who have waited so patiently with us and have given us so much support. We love you Elainea and look forward to having you home!
