You never really think about your own name. But today, I did. I realized just how beautiful my name is — my native name, I mean: Chinecherem. In fact, I’d rarely considered the full version: Chinecheremechicheoma. It means “God has good thoughts for me.”

Thinking about it, I realize how true that meaning has been in my life. There have been so many moments where it felt like nothing but God’s good thoughts were at work. I can’t help but feel deeply grateful.