My name is my friend

All my life I have loved my name. VERDA. Isn't it great. It sounds good too. When I was little the boys use to tease me and call me Verdi River. Not such a bad nick-name as nick names go. I like the sound of my name, even in combination with other words. After I got married I would get a bit grumpy about my name. When we were at church all the other women in the ward were referred to as Sister so and so... I wanted to be called Sister Hebner. I like my last name too because it connects me to Gary and I am proud of that. I was introduced as Sister Hebner but it wouldn't be very long til it changed to Verda. The priesthood would call all the other sisters , Sister Coleman, Sister Philp, Sister Merrill. I was always VERDA. Even the men in the Stake would do this. I use to feel like I was being demoted or something. But no matter what I said, they still called me Verda. My seminary students were sweet, they called me Sister Verda.

Why do I bring this up? Well, since I have moved to Prescott, I have been known as Sister Hebner. Wonderful, I thought I had finallly been promoted. But I think it was only because we moved from ward to ward so quickly, that I wasn't really quite known yet. We have now been in the Glassford Hill Ward for about a year. No one has really spoken to me this whole time. So I didn't feel much like a member of this ward. I said to Gary one night, if I don't receive a calling by the end of the year, I'm going to the bishop and ask for one.(this was last october) That's all it took. We were called to serve in the primary. Ever since then, the Bishopric is now aware of me. Not as Sister Hebner, though. As VERDA. I have finally become part of this ward. It feels good, like coming home from a long vacation. I think it's funny that people prefer my first name. It's doesn't bug me anymore. It just makes me feel at home. And Gary, well, he isn't Gary, he's The Heb, or usually HEBNER. The guys like his last name. Oh well, like Dad use to say, 'call me what you like, just don't call me late for dinner'!