Hello everybody! Weighing 8.27lbs., with a normal head circumference and 51cm in length, with a progressive sucking and feeding reflexes, our daughter, our greatest blessing, PHOENIX SEILEAFI BRAVE, is now 2 days old.
A lot had been intrigued as to how and why we named her this way. The first name was from me. Since I was young, I had always been drawn to the name Phoenix. I always read about it every chance I get. I am a Scorpio and it's fascinating to get informed of these remarkable writings about the two. No wonder, there was this mysterious fondness to this mystical creature.
PHOENIX
The Phoenix is the ultimate goal as a Scorpio. The mythical Phoenix is destroyed and rises above its own ashes (another Pluto trait). Life is hard. Scorpio knows how hard life can be. But when Scorpio reaches the symbol of the Phoenix, he or she has achieved the most mature, stable and comfortable life. Knowing he or she can survive anything, Scorpio at this point, doesn’t bog itself down with petty arguments and plots of revenge. The Phoenix has risen above all that nonsense, adopting a “live and let live” attitude, and once again, trusting God to handle affairs of revenge and violence. The Phoenix is the most peaceful of the Scorpion symbols. The older Scorpio has usually achieved this based on all of life’s lessons.
In Judaism, the phoenix is known as Milcham or Chol (or Hol): The story of the phoenix begins in the Garden of Eden when Eve fell, tempted by the serpent to eat the forbidden fruit. According to the Midrash Rabbah, upset by her situation and jealous of creatures still innocent, Eve tempted all the other creatures of the garden to do the same. Only the Chol (phoenix) resisted. As a reward, the phoenix was given eternal life, living in peace for a thousand years and then being reborn from an egg to continue to live in peace again, repeating the cycle eternally (Gen. Rabbah 19:5). Rabbi Shlomo Yitzhaki, better known as Rashi, commented that death has no power over the phoenix, "because it did not taste the fruit from the tree of knowledge."[5]
The phoenix also appears in the Book of Job: "I shall multiply my days as the Chol, the phoenix" (Job 29:18), again indicating long life if not immortality. This reference, however, is controversial since chol has been translated as phoenix, sand, and palm tree in different versions.[6]
The phoenix became a symbol of Christianity in early literature, either from the ancient Hebrew legend or from the incorporation of Greek and Roman culture, or from a combination of both. In any case, the ideology of the phoenix fit perfectly with the story of Christ. The phoenix's resurrection from death as new and pure can be viewed as a metaphor for Christ's resurrection, central to Christian belief. The phoenix is referenced by the early Christian Apostolic Father Clement in The First Epistle of Clement to the Corinthians. Most of the Christian-based phoenix symbolism appears within works of literature, especially in Medieval and Renaissance Christian literature that combined classical and regional myth and folklore with more mainstream doctrine.
BRAVE
The word, in its very sense, describes the strength my daughter possesses.
I believe that each and every one of us are a living proof that there is a miracle. It first starts as the fastest swimmer amongst thrillions (😜) to fertilize the egg, to surviving in the womb for 9 months til the traumatic entrance via the narrowest canal in the world, the BIRTH CANAL, to thrive in the most complex YET MOST NOURISHING environment, EARTH. So far, Brave managed to surpass all except the last phase in which all of us (NO EXEMPTIONS), are in.
Besides the fact that my husband considers her a Disney baby since we have met and fell in love in the happiest place on earth, she is indeed a half-Samoan. She'll possess remarkable strength, exotic curly hair and indestructible spirit. So much so, the qualities that we admired from "Merida", the heir of the throne in the movie, "BRAVE". My husband finds Merida a one-of-a-kind princess and so it is just right to name our daughter after this profound character for we never doubted, that she'll also be an extraordinary lass growing up. That being said, that was my husband's second name for her.
Naming our daughter is a moment I share intimately with my husband as I realized there would be 3 of us soon. And now that the much awaited time is here, I am more than grateful for having friends and family all over celebrating with us and showing love by sharing their delight with us because of a joyful "first". I am thankful to the Lord of you all and of course of my loving husband who had done a great job in assisting me through out the delivery process. The most unforgettable moment was when I did the last 3 pushes and you were encouraging me to push in the delivery room along with the medical team. I wouldn't make it if it weren't for you. Lastly, God had never left my side the entire show time of 5 hours. We got admitted at 9pm, PHOENIX BRAVE came out at exactly 2:03am via normal delivery. Dr. Rebecca Tang's hands were used by God to safely bring her out. Welcome to our world!
Recent addition to her name is the Samoan name: "SEILEAFI". Her grandmother had explained the meaning of it and as translated "SEI" - means flower and "LEAFI" means on fire. And we instantly loved it. It suits her perfectly.
Related posts:
Related posts:
1. GOD'S LOVE KNOWS NO LIMITS - God doesn't see you by race, nor by gender and most especially, not by religious preference. He loves each and everyone of us the same way. No special treatments, no favoritisms, just PURE LOVE.
2. THE HEAT IS ON - Filipinos making their dreams come true on stage being part of one of the most prestigious musicals, Miss Saigon.
3. 8TH INTERNATIONAL SAMOAN SIVA AFI COMPETITION, HOGAN TOOMALATAI: CHAMPION - Let's look at Phoenix Brave's roots.