What's in a Name?

Post Written by Philip and Katherine

We have decided on the name for our second sweet baby boy! Before we share his name, we thought it would be nice to go back and write about Landon’s name as well since we have never blogged about that before.

Landon’s full name is Landon Philip Cecil Brown. We chose Landon because we have always liked it. In fact, it has been Katherine’s favorite name since she was about 15 years old. We threw around a few names before we found out he was a boy, but after the ultrasound, we both just started calling him Landon. It was just natural and fit him perfectly from the start.

The Philip is named after Philip obviously, but it is also a very special tradition in his family. The father always passes down his first name as his son’s middle name. Philip’s great grandfather’s name was Crawford Brown. Then his grandfather’s name was Houston Crawford Brown. Philip’s Dad’s name is Melvin Houston Brown, and Philip’s name is Philip Melvin Brown.

The Cecil is also a very special part of Landon’s name. Cecil was Philip’s grandfather. Philip loved his grandfather so much. This part about Cecil was specially written by Philip:

Cecil passed away a couple of weeks before Landon’s birth. He was with us in spirit throughout the process and continues to resonate through stories and memories. Cecil was known as a hard-working, caring man that never met a stranger. I can remember attending car races with him throughout the years. One that comes to mind was in North Florida, and I had to ride between him and another gentlemen. Let’s just say that both men were manly men and Cecil was a big man but the other gentleman was quite large. I had to sit in the middle between them as they told old half-truths and chewed tobacco. The funny part of the story was that I was not a little boy as you were expecting. I was 24 at the time and was not a small boy myself. Nothing like having to sit in the middle of a single cab pickup with three men collectively topping 800 lbs. I remember how Pops knew everyone at the races and would talk to the strange of the strangest. I like to describe the people that attend the dirt track as characters, each with their own set of experiences and knowledge. You can learn a great deal by just sitting and listening to the stories. As a young boy and one still learning how to be a man in this world, I learned an immense amount by sitting and listening to Cecil as he would share stories of growing up in the mountains, working in the woods as a logger, trying to help Granny raise 6 kids, and working hard to spoil all of his grandkids.

I am often asked to speak at different types of banquets and ceremonies with my job, and my topic of choice is usually legacy and the opportunity that we have to leave a legacy. I believe our legacy is not usually defined as what we accomplish, but the power of our legacy lies within the difference that we make in others. I share this story whenever I have the chance. It was during my freshman year at Valdosta High School when the mathematics teacher demanded that each of us purchase a graphing calculator to use throughout our time at VHS and hopefully through college. At the time, I did not want to ask my mom to spend her hard-earned money on this stupid calculator (I know what you are thinking mom…it never bothered him any other time.) . The doorbell rang early the next morning, and Cecil was at the door with a $100 bill. He did not come in the door or ask to stay for breakfast, and I have yet to find out how he knew that I needed a calculator. All he said was, “I think that you need this for school.” After he left, I headed to Walmart to purchase the calculator, and the cool part of the story happens next. Eight years later, I walked into a public school classroom as a math teacher with a fancy graphing calculator on my desk. The calculator still sits on my desk at North Oconee High School, and I use it every day to calculate budgets, test scores, etc. It is part of Cecil’s legacy, and I’m excited to see where it continues. The cool part is I know that it lives on each and every day inside of me and all of my students.

Philip with Cecil

Our second son will be named Owen Preston Brown. We chose Owen because we just liked it. Really, Katherine liked it the most, but Philip also thought it was a good name. It has two meanings, “well birthed” and “young warrior.” Nice strong meanings but we decided to change the meaning from “young warrior” to “young titan”. (Plus, Philip made a deal with Katherine several years ago that he would get final say on all pet names and Katherine would get final say on all children’s names—hence why our dog is named Krzyzewski Jordan aka KJ! Good deal, right!)

The Preston is named after Katherine’s  grandfather, her mom’s father. This part about Preston was written specially by Katherine:

Preston, my Paw Paw,  is a wonderful man. He has such a kind, gentle soul. He worked hard at a Kaiser Aluminum plant for over 40 years to support his family, while his wife worked hard at home raising their five children.

Preston is patient, loving, and intelligent. He loves to garden and work with his hands. Every time I have gone to his house since I was a little girl, we walk around the garden and Paw Paw always shows me all the special plants in his yard.  He knows every plant by name and how to make each plant grow perfectly. My favorite plant that he would grow when I was little was the Night Blooming Cereus. It only blooms once a year for a single night. He must have had a lot, because I remember getting to witness them bloom several times. When one was about to bloom, we would sit outside for hours and watch it. I remember feeling so special as I witnessed this special plant’s only bloom of the year.

Sometimes beauty is in quality not quantity. Preston teaches us that daily through his words. I come from a very verbal family, but Preston is the exception. He is a quiet man who rarely speaks but is always present. He watches his surroundings and listens to what people are saying. If he talks, it is because he has something important to say, and you are wise to stop what you are doing and listen! Preston teaches others through his actions rather than words.

My PawPaw is resilient. When my Mom and Dad were dating, PawPaw got in a very bad wreck. My Mom tells about how afraid she was and that she thought he wouldn’t survive. But he did! And he is still going strong at 87 years old! Any health issues that come Preston’s way, he fights off…We’ve had several health scares, but Preston’s quiet determination, faith in God, and love from his wife of over 60 years have led him through every time. 

Katherine with Geraldine and Preston

Earlier, Philip talked about leaving a legacy. Our hope for our children is that they leave this world a better place than they found it. Both Cecil and Preston have made a difference to so many others including us. We are proud to pass on their names to our children.