When thinking about my true self, I really didn’t know where to start. According to Chopra, we are never-ending projects of the universe. This concept appeals to me so I decided to start at what would be the beginning of my “project”.

It’s a story that has been told many times in my family; the story of how I came to be. Gail, my older sister, was 5 years old and desperately wanted a baby sister. At that time, Gail often spent weekends with our Aunt Mimi and Uncle Larry and would come home each Sunday night hoping to find her wish realized.

Partridge Family

Now Gail’s motivation wasn’t typical. She wanted me as leverage. You see, Gail and her best friend played The Partridge Family on a regular basis. For those of you who are too young to know The Partridge Family, here is a brief synopsis: a TV series in the 70’s chronicling the life of a family of pop musicians who tour in a big old painted school bus. The show was huge; David Cassidy, the actor who played the older son Keith, was THE teen idol of the 70’s. For Gail and Co., their attention was mostly focussed on the two sisters in the series — Laurie (the older sister) and Tracy (the younger) and many an hour was spent arguing over who should play the coveted role of Laurie Partridge. Gail was determined to be Laurie and what better way to make her the natural shoo-in for the part than to actually have a baby sister named Tracy.

So, as my Dad would say, she haunted my parents until they conceded and gave her, her very own Tracey. And yes, Gail was the one who named me. She had launched the project and gave it its own title.

Gail and I

In Judaism, your name is considered to be connected to your fate. I like this and like it even more now that I’ve spent a few minutes googling the meaning of my name.

Tracey:

late summer; warlike (Irish, Gaelic)

fighter, brave (English)

To me, this feels right; my name fits. What strikes me is how the universe knew? I guess the universe has always known; it was just me who was in the dark. Now it’s up to me. I need to “open (my) spiritual eye and see through the illusion of conditioning” and “the path of dharma (will) beckon me.”