'Our names are beacons of love and hope. It carries the blessing of a generation that isn't here to witness you. It bears the weight of a thousand prayers.'

But as we left our homes, we learnt to mould it for the convenience of others. We changed the meaning and adopted nicknames that did not give an ode to the glory of our full names.

For the longest time, my dearest friend Nishat and I have battled with understanding our names; the heritage, history and culture that it carries. We discuss the joys and struggles of having a non-western name in a Western country and how we confronted it throughout the years. Join us as we explore our journey towards embracing the beauty of our names. We hope that through this conversation you can look into your beautiful name and appreciate it for all that it is.