Dear Pope Francis,
Congratulations on your new post! You made your parents so proud. From everything I read about you, I think you will make a fine pope.
I love the name you picked, after Saint Francis. I am named after a great guy too, my dad, a Francis Leo. He passed away in June but I tell you, he would be one very happy Catholic to have a Pope Francis reigning over the church. Anyway, I want to welcome you to another special world, one with few members, like being a pope. It’s the Francis/Frances World.
You might already have a sense not many of us exist since you are the first pope to choose Francis. I don’t understand why as he is a well-known and revered Francis, being a Saint and all. A city in California was named for him too, San Francisco. I know, I lived there and now I live nearby in the suburbs. A little ironic to find the two of us together I think, a Frances living in San Francisco.
My Dad’s Frat Mug, circa 1949.
With so much to learn in your new job, I thought I would try to help you out with some shortcuts managing your name. I know you didn’t know this was going to be a job too, being a Francis. That’s OK, it’s new to you. I have forty-eight years of experience to share.
I heard you are a patient and funny guy. You will find this invaluable on several fronts. First, you are going to get a nickname. A Frances/Francis rarely stays a Frances/Francis. My dad liked Frank or Fran. My family and friends call me Francie. My older brother gave me a nickname to my nickname, Francie Pants. Your buddies most likely will choose one for you so you might be stuck there. So for your sake, I hope you have kind friends. Don’t take offense whatever the outcome; it just means they love you.
Secondly, if you need an introduction it’s best to help the acquaintance out. People hear what they want to hear. No matter how much you annunciate, your name can come back at you in ways not even remotely close. For me, I get FranCINE, Betsy or Marcy. I nip the confusion in the bud. I say, “Hi. I’m Francie like Nancy.” You might find it helpful to say, “Hi. I’m Pope Francis, like the Saint.” Be patient. Eventually the right name catches on.
And if on that rare occasion, the person gets your name right on the first try, give them a high five. It’s a really big deal and important for them to know how much you appreciate their sharp ear. It’s like being the millionth customer, a very noteworthy occurrence. You will both feel great and have a good laugh.
The biggest battle is a test even for you. Our name is misspelled a lot. Male or female, a Frances/Francis knows what this means; it’s our instantaneous bond when we find each other. Here is the secret: A female Frances is spelled with an “e” like her. A male Francis is spelled with an “i” like his. Our gender is thoughtlessly changed with a flick of a letter. Did you catch that at the beginning of my letter? The constant errant spelling and the rarity of our name binds us together. Pope Francis, you have friends you didn’t even know you had.
I think I have more than a name in common with this lady.
Anyway, just know to look for errors, especially the medical reports. I recently had an MRI come back with name: “FrancIs” and gender: “Female.” I was pretty sure it was the standard mistake but just to be safe, I scanned for the birthdate. I’d hate to get an operation I didn’t need and I’m sure you would feel the same way.
So, on behalf of Team Francis/Frances, we hope you will help set the record straight. Make a big deal every once in awhile about how to spell our name, enough so word gets around. This will be particularly important with historians and journalists. Otherwise, being a Jesuit from the Americas will seem like nothing compared to a pope who is female.
Good luck with your new jobs. I look forward to reading all about you and checking to see if you are a male or a female in each article.
With love,
Frances, with an “e”
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You go Francie Nancy!
Ahh thanks Monica. I kind of thought you might be drawn to this one. Thanks for reading!!!!
Love it! Especially the end about the pope being female! I love the name Frances and Francis! Thanks…
I think it’s funny how it ties in with the 60 Minutes piece about Nuns in America getting uppity. You just know, no pope, no matter how saintly is going to like a the idea of a female pope.;-)
Love it! You wear the name well!
Ahh. Thanks! And I’m glad you enjoyed the piece. I wonder if Pope Francis would?;-) Thanks letting me know you stopped by!
Oh this is so great! I smiled the whole way reading.
YAY! That was the goal! You made me happy in return. THANKS!
Dad (Frank) is smiling down on you and all the Frances/Framcis’s of the world. Bet he has friends in heaven with the same name like St. Francis himself!
I hope so! It should be fun for all, humans and angels. Congrats, you figured out how to post.
Ha! This is a hoot … irreverent and reverent, which you combine so well, Francie.
Yay! I’m glad you had fun with it. I’m soo glad you let me know you stopped by! I’m keeping up with you too!
I still feel guilty for calling you Francine instead of Francie in Santa Rosa. I am especially sensitive to pronunciation and spelling. Being a Jean, I get Gene, Jeanne, Jeane, Jane and with a maiden name like MacIver, the tv show spelling was commonplace. And now as a Follmer, I am Fulmer, Fuller, etc.
See you later, Francie.
And I apparently cannot type either – pronunciation.
Ha! fixed it. I didn’t even notice….
Hi Jean! No worries here about calling me Francine; it’s VERY common. It’s a part of the “job” like you with Jean and Follmer. My last name is jut starting to take a beating, “Love”. Must be how I say it. Anyway, thanks for stopping by and I look forward to our next swim meet, the social part.
Love it! …And I learned something too! Who would have thought they’d make it male and female spellings. My claim to fame for my name has something to do with “Dancing Nancy”….but I won’t go there….
Dear Dancing Nancy, love to know your fame! I bet it’s fun. Names make great story. Glad you enjoyed the post and learned something new. Looking forward to more visits.
Hi Francie,
Loved your blog post. We are “Frances Strong.” Look forward to following your posts!
Frances
(sometimes referred to as Florence, Phyllis, and Kathleen)
Love it! We could get wrist bands! So glad I found another Frances in the world. Looking forward to sharing more Frances/Francis tales. Glad you stopped by!
Great writing, Francie-like-Nancy and love from your long lost friend, Nancy-like-Francie. Wonderful blog!
Hey Nancy Schmance,
Thanks for stopping by and for the compliment! Means a lot from an accomplished writer like you! I love how social media is bringing all my old buddies back into my circle. Hope to see you here again.
Francie