Sarah WITH AN H

I have been blessed with a very simple name. I have never had to deal with people mispronouncing my name or calling me by a silly name-derived nickname, and I have never received a funny look upon introduction. But, believe it or not, I am the victim of a horrible annoyance that plagues my life on a daily basis - name misspelling.

Contrary to popular belief, there is only ONE WAY to spell the name Sarah. S-A-R-A-H. Sara is NOT MY NAME. When I call to order something, I always explain with particularity, my name is Sarah, S-A-R-A-H, Smith. It may not matter to you, but it matters to me. With the most common name in the USA, I take pride in that one element of uniqueness that allows me to say, no you spell it THIS way, please add that H :) In addition I love that not only is my name an alliteration, but my first and last name are both 5 letters long, begin with an S, and end with an H. In this OCD head of mine, butterflies flutter around and bluebirds sing when I think of how much that makes sense and goes together. That H is DAMN important.

So, to those of you who will not be named or singled out, when you write me emails, notes, store my name in your phone, whatever, and you leave off the H, you are simply getting it wrong. And, if I catch it, I will simply be annoyed. So please, remember the H. Because we Sara(h)'s want you to get it right the first time, next time you meet one of us, just take the time to ask about the H. It is the little things in life that make us smile, but it is the correct usage of the H that makes a Sara(h)'s day.

Love,

Sarah with an H Smith