Namesake
I write under a pen name here.
My first name is actually Sarah. Bernadette Judaea is a name my mom considered giving me. I used to laugh about it but it became kind of a useful alter ego for a period of time. Now, its more of a relic. I do kind of love it when y’all call me Bernadette in the comments, though.
At work last week, a man read my name tag and said a line I often say, “Sarah, like in the Bible.” Although, I usually say: “the Bible, the Quran, and the Torah”.
Well, the thing about Sarah is that she is featured in all of these three texts and also she has a baby at 90. This was the piece of information I really held on to for a long time. Since my mom had me at 31, it especially hit when I turned 30 and had not yet had a child. I thought, “Maybe I might like to come to know my namesake even better with deeper investigation”. So, I have been reading deeper into her story and the themes in order to know her better.
Other things I noticed about Sarah’s story. In one Midrash, she died of shock, which is interesting to me because: while I was taking my Wilderness First Responder course in the Cascade Mountains, one of our scenarios involved me pretending to go into shock. When the synchronicities and symbolism scream at you this loudly, you begin to know what it means when people say “God is trying to tell you something.” Although, I am still not really sure what.
Sarah also had to pretend to be Abraham’s sister while they traveled through Egypt. Abraham asked her to do this so they would both be treated well.
When I arrived home the other day, the television was blasting a commercial. This was especially peculiar seeing as how I never watch anything on the television. I later found out my mom had left it on when she was sitting with my cat while I was at work. The movie that was on when I got home was Sleepless in Seattle. This movie, hilariously, has haunted me for a while now. It was in the drawer of the AirBNB I stayed in while I was in Seattle around this time last year. It was mentioned on the radio in conversation. Its a romantic comedy cult classic, and I have yet to watch it. I started watching it because it was the beginning but I didn’t finish it.
What’s funny is that I found out later that Tom Hanks’s wife played his sister in the film. They had already been married, and similar to the story of Abraham and Sarah, this story played out by Tom Hanks and Rita Wilson seems like it is part of the pattern in a hilarious way. Its almost like the archetype playing out through cinema. Like I said, I didn’t finish the movie, if there is ever a rainy day off, I will consider it.
15 Sarah was afraid, so she lied and said, “I did not laugh.” But he said, “Yes, you did laugh.”
I suppose the point at which Sarah is difficult to understand is her treatment of Hagar and Ismail and wanting them banished. I would be interested to know if the translation has anything to do with that. What is the symbolism in that part of the story? Sarah is a very common name in Arabic language. So, despite her being depicted as unwelcoming to Ishmael and Hagar, she is still highly regarded. Hagar is a second wife, so culturally this is not really all that controversial for her to be living with them in a communal way.
Isaac means “He will laugh” in Hebrew. I listened to some of the Kybalion while sitting on the beach one day during a very hazy Neptune transit. I remember there being an emphasis on creating something and filling it with joy. I like how Sarah’s sense of humor is portrayed. In the Scripture, she is very old, and God tells her she will have a son, and she laughs.
12 So Sarah laughed to herself as she thought, “After I am worn out and my lord is old, will I now have this pleasure?” -Genesis 18:12
Sarah said, “God has brought me laughter, and everyone who hears about this will laugh with me.”
Much of the journey from Sarai to Sarah is about doubt and Faith. Not knowing the full plan but going with the breadcrumbs. From Princess to one, to Princess to All. Bipity bopity boo.
Originally written in Collective Journaling at The Stoa
