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I’m crying so hard at the last bit. I can’t even compose an entire comment.

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I have heard several stories about why I was named Cassandra - a friend of my mom's... a famous actress of the time...? But my mom also decided that my shortened name of Cassi would be unique and not have an E at the end. I have never been able to find my name on a key chain or other memento and that bothered me as a child but now I like being one of the few that have a name spelled like mine. So when I went to high school - how shocked was I that there were 3 Cassi's all with the spelling with no E! One was very popular, I was mid-range, and I never knew the third. When Facebook first became popular and old high school "friends" were searching each other out - there were a few times I had to say to people I think you are looking for the other Cassi. Another part of my naming was that I was given my father's initials - CR. He was Clifford Reuben and I am Cassandra Ruth. When I had a child I wanted to do the same and so my firstborn is Christopher Rey. Yes, Rey with an E - meaning King. So he is the Christ-bearing King. Had he been a girl - he would have had my husband's initials and most likely would have been Denise (middle name never decided on). When I had my second son (2nd marriage) I flipt it and wanted to give our son John's initials... but my brother Thomas had just died so he was given his name as his middle name. Thus my 2nd child is Jake Thomas. The funniest thing to me about their names has always been that everyone wants to shorten Christopher to Chris (he finally gave in and is now called that) but everyone wants to lengthen Jake's name to Jacob. Nope, he's just Jake.

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