This morning, my youngest—Violet, age 3—leaned in close with that sparkle in her eye kids get when they think they know something really important. She whispered, in that loud, breathy toddler whisper we all know and love:

“Daddy, I know your nickname.”

You know how it is—you’re not in a library, you’re standing in your own living room, but you lower your voice anyway. You play along. Because that’s the rule when your kid whispers.

So I matched her tone and asked, “What’s my nickname?”

She looked around like she was about to spill top-secret intel. Then, with total seriousness, she said:

“It’s Chris. Your nickname is Chris.”

I blinked. Did my toddler just call me by my first name?

Now, I’ve already been having a minor identity crisis over being called “Dad” instead of “Daddy.” That shift happens slowly—one day, they’re tiny and clinging to your leg, shouting “Daaaaaddy!” and the next, it’s “Dad,” short and practical. I wasn’t ready for “Chris.”

Trying not to laugh too hard, I asked her, “Where did you hear that?”

“At the dance studio,” she said proudly. “They all call you Chris Lynam.”

Ah. It made sense. We’ve been taking her to toddler dance classes, and I must’ve signed her in once or twice. The instructors and staff probably used my full name without thinking about it. Violet had picked it up, processed it, and filed it under: Big Secret About Daddy.

But what she said next stopped me in my tracks.

She grinned and added,
“And I have a nickname too. It’s Violet Lynam. We have the same nickname, Daddy. It’s just like yours.”

That was it. That was the moment. My heart just… melted.

In her mind, this wasn’t about formality or identity—it was about belonging. She had discovered that we share something: a name. To her, that wasn’t just a fact. It was a connection. A badge we both wear. A reason to feel proud.

I could’ve corrected her, explained the difference between a name and a nickname—but why would I?

In her world, where names are still magical and relationships are everything, sharing a name with Daddy is about the most important thing there is.

And honestly? She’s right.

We do share a name.
We do share a life.
And we do share something that matters more than words can capture.

So yeah, maybe “Chris” is my name. But to Violet, it’s a nickname we both wear with pride.

And for now, that’s good enough for me.