It's All in a Name

I've had several people ask me why I chose "The Sweet Choice" as the name of my blog, and I believe it might require some explanation so people don't get the wrong idea.

When my husband was a child, his family had a Boston Terrier dog named Dolly.  I don't know if you've ever had a Boston before, but they are the most amazing dogs.  Like most dogs, they are loyal to a fault, but Bostons are also highly intelligent.  They were originally a cross breed of Bulldogs (English and French) and the English terrier, which is now extinct.  Please correct me if I'm wrong, but I believe they were originally bred to be fighting dogs, like Pit Bulls.  When they bred Bostons, however, they didn't get much of a fighting dog because Bostons have wonderful and sweet dispositions.

When my husband's parents got her, they named her Dolly: The Sweet's Choice, which is cute given that their surname is Sweet.  Sweet was not originally my last name, of course; I got it when I married into the family.  And when I did, my husband's parents gave us each a book for our wedding.  In the inscription in mine, they wrote that I was now "The Sweet's Choice."

I feel so very lucky and blessed to have (1) married a man with the last name of Sweet, and (2) married into such a warm and loving family.  I always had this thought in the back of my mind as I was growing up and thinking of my wedding day, even before I met my husband, Raven--if my soon-to-be-husband's last name was something I didn't care for, I was going to keep my maiden name and just tell him that I was all about keeping my own identity as a woman.  I'm not sure what feminists may think of that because the second I knew Raven and I were going to marry, I knew I was going to take his name.  How could I not?  Candy Sweet?  It was too good a name to pass up!

Raven's mom and dad have been so very wonderful to me over the few years we've been married.  And while his dad, Frank, has passed away now, I still remember him quite fondly.  I am tearing up now thinking about how warmly and kindly he accepted me into the family.  When he wrote in the book that I was "The Sweet's Choice," it was like they had all chosen me, not just Raven.  I wish now I had told him how much that meant to me.

So that is the reason for the blog's name.  It's my way of reminding myself how much I am loved by a family that is so kind and loving.

We have a Boston Terrier of our own now, Geddy Lee Sweet, and he, too, is "The Sweet's Choice," just like me.

He even has his own twitter account:  @Geddy_of_Boston.