shared by Marlo R. Beall, her sister
Last weekend, I was lucky enough to attend our cousin Bernadette's graduation from UCLA Law School. Our whole family is so proud of her achievement, and are excited for all that she'll accomplish in the future.
I hadn't been back to UCLA in a few years. It's always very nostalgic being back on campus, and bittersweet as well. There's countless fond memories, but also sadness knowing that Cindy didn't get the chance to move on to the next stages of her life after completing her degree.
After the graduation ceremony, a few of us walked down the hill to the middle of campus, to visit the meeting room that had been named in Cindy's honor. A previous entry describes when Andrew and I took the girls to see it back in 2016.
I was happy that more of our family members had a chance to also visit the space. And it's touching to know that Cindy's memory and spirit are kept alive in a special spot on the UCLA campus.
shared by Marlo R. Beall, her sister
Cyn Cyn is part of a new club volleyball team this season, and one of my fellow team parents recently asked me whether she had any nicknames. My initial, short answer was that we typically call her Cyn or Cyn Cyn.
Then I went on to also tell him about how she was named after her aunt, who went by Cindy, but that we don't call her Cindy. I also explained how we usually call Cyn Cyn "Até," so it's easiest to say "Até, Ava," when we're calling out for both girls.
The moment just made me appreciate that Andew and I made the choice to name our first child after Cindy. I remember a time when we had joked about our child being named either "Cynthia" (for a girl) or "Cynthio" (for a boy).
Before Cindy passed away, the girl's name we had picked out was Naomi. I have a vivid memory of Andrew and I driving to the hospital while I was in labor. I had a little notepad and pen in my hand, and I was writing down "Cynthia Naomi Beall" and "Naomi Cynthia Beall," just to see how the names looked.
I'm glad we ended up with Cynthia Naomi Beall, and I'm pretty sure Cyn Cyn is happy with it too. Having her named after Cindy is a lovely tribute and constant reminder of my beautiful sister.
