So how did Franklin become Franklin(!) ? He in fact had many names, as befitting a beast of his stature. When we brought him home he in fact already had a name – Dumpling – which we did not feel fit him at all. He quickly lost that name and instead we christened him “Frankie”, in part after his blue-eyed namesake, Frank Sinatra. Old blue eyes indeed.

Frankie worked as a baby name especially. But of course one becomes more serious as one ages and leaves behind the nicknames and cutsy ies as one becomes an adult and Franklin was no different. But of course we did not start out with Franklin being his full name. It actually was a friend who asked us at a party once, “How is Frank-lin” doing?” and that really stuck with us, especially because he said it more like “Fronk-lin” which was really funny.

‘Fronk-lin’ just sounded a lot better, especially because it felt like he was doing such outrageous things that we had to use his new full name – Franklin – to admonish him not to do. He took it like a champ and of course decided that he liked Franklin the best of his names.

Of course, Franklin had to round out with a middle name. His full name was Franklin Delano Garner (FDG). We were honored that Franklin took inspiration from one of our greatest presidents for his middle name, although that middle name often only came out when he was in big trouble. And having a name from American history also completed Geoff’s more formal name, “Geofferson”, so we really felt like we had a full complement of American historically relevant cats.

Recently Franklin acquired a new variation to his name. He was “Frank-a-lin!” sometimes, especially when we were calling to him or getting up to see him for the first time. Frank-a-lin also was a good snuggling name for him.

Franklin had many names because he had many aspects, many things worthwhile about him that we sought to capture in what we called him. He of course would have never tolerated being just one thing and every time that I think of one of his names I see him in a slightly different way.

Love,

Garrett & Anna