Ways to Make Sunshine

“I do not have a boy’s name. I have my name. My name is Ryan and Ryan means ‘king’ and that means I am a leader–.”

Ryan stands up for herself when a classmate says that her name is a “boy’s name.” This quote illustrates early on that Ryan is self-assured and knows who she is and who she wants to be. She does not let the classmate’s teasing tear her down and stands up for herself when she needs to.

“Mom and Dad tell me I will keep growing into my name. They say it to my brother, too. ‘Be who we named you to be’.”

This quote introduces an important lesson Ryan’s parents try to instill in her and her brother, Raymond. Mr. and Mrs. Hart believe it is important for their children to have names with powerful meanings, which they invoke to remind their children of who they are. The reminder “Be who we named you to be” is a powerful statement that gives Ryan and Raymond a standard to both guide their actions and live up to.

“My brother’s name is Raymond. We call him Ray. His name means “protector” and Dad says he should be keeping me, his little sister, safe [...] He is always telling me you can’t do this and you shouldn’t be so that [...] Maybe because he doesn’t know the meaning of my name, how tough I really am.”

Ryan introduces her older brother, Raymond, and explains the meaning of his name. Since he is the older sibling, Ryan’s parents often remind him to look out for Ryan. Ryan resents Ray’s role as her “protector” at times because she believes he coddles her or views her as being weak. Instead of seeing her brother’s actions as protective, Ryan views him as being overbearing or acting in a way that suggests he does not view her as capable.