My mother was born in 1918 and my father called her Bob. She was Mary Barbara but she told me that as a child Babs and Babsy was what her friends called her. My mother-in-law was born in Moylough (pronounced My Lock), Galway, Ireland as Mary Theresa but was Terry. My grandmother was born in Bantry, Cork, Ireland as Mary Ellen but everybody called her May.

Now that the dead are gone, my teen bride Colleen was born in 1954 and I call her Col or Colleen but you may have guessed it - her name is Mary Colleen. You had to be named for a saint years ago to be baptized and Mary the Blessed Virgin was the best way to go years ago for a baby girl especially with the father thinking about his time as a youth.

There was a St. Martha, and my mother had a novena going for Pop all through WWII for his safe return, so my sister Marty had no "Mary" in front of her name. My mother did five Masses a week until her mind went and her body would no longer allow her to walk to church. I like girls named Mary and I miss so many of them.