I let them shorten my mother’s name

Dear Delyara, At the clinic today, the receptionist looked at my mother’s name on the screen and said, “Can we just call her Mrs. K?” My mother smiled because she did not understand the question. I said yes. Her name is Kalyani Krishnamoorthy. It is long, musical, and carried by women in our family who crossed oceans before I was born. I have watched people cut it down for thirty years because they say they are afraid of saying it wrong. Usually I help them. I offer the easy version before they ask. Today, when the nurse called “Mrs. K,” my mother stood up and followed her without complaint, holding the purse she has used since we arrived in Canada. I sat in the waiting room feeling ashamed. Later, in the car, she asked why everyone here calls her by one letter. I told her it was because they were busy. She nodded. The truth is, I have spent my whole life translating my family into smaller pieces so strangers will feel comfortable. Today, one letter felt too small to hold my mother.