My Dear

            It is always hard for me to explain my name to people, but it doesn't mean I don't like it. Most people think I'm Arabic because my country is in the Middle East. I don't blame them; because the history and geography of the Middle East is complicated. It is true that most of the countries in Middle East are Arabic countries, but not my country, Iran.

I'm Persian, and I speak Farsi. Maybe I can say I speak one of the oldest languages, and I'm happy that my family chose a Persian name for me, because using Arabic, English or Turkish names is also common in my country. My name was in old books and poetry from Persian writers, and poets in old days like Hafez, Saadi or Rumi. My name comes from the word Naz, it is the word that we use when we want to mention something as lovely, beautiful, or cute. But my name is also used to say a person is dear. My Nazanin means my dear.

In the old days, when writers or poets wanted to read a poetry or a story that contained a life lesson, they started their poetry or their story by calling the readers my Nazanin. The act of sharing life lessons and experiences was a gift that they wished to offer to their dear readers. While Nazanin is a common name in Iran, for me it's a special name. It brings me joy when I read Persian poetry, and I can find my name there.