I Am Regina

My name in English is sharp. It’s strong. Sometimes the first syllable gets lost in the other letters’ thirst for power, making people think I’m Gina. Or Virginia. I am neither of those, I tell them. I am Regina.

In Spanish my name is soft and feathery. It’s draped chiffon. The ‘r’s are rolled and the ‘g’ is whispered. Like the first fall of snow; my name can be silken and quietly melodic, or bitter and piercingly raw. Either way, it’s a confident name; not for the meek and quiet. Regina is a name that radiates the glow of ages, as it comes from Latin times, and means Queen. My actual name is Maria, but Regina is more unique, more regal, and I think is a title worth striving to uphold. I rather think the Spanish pronunciation suits me better, but I will always have the intensity and strength from the English one.

I would never change my name. Whether I grew into it, or it grew into me; it’s part of who I am. And I am Regina.