I met a teacher from a neighboring school corporation this week. She has spent something like 20 years volunteering in Belize to help keep schools open.  Amazing stuff!  She shared the following anecdote that sparked an interest in me for perhaps a future essay or short story:

In Belize (and perhaps elsewhere) it is customary for parents of newborns to wait 30 full days before naming the child.  The rationale is twofold:  one, sadly, is due to the rather high infant mortality rate in that country; the second reason is that the parents have about a month for the child to develop a personality so they can assign the most appropriate name.

I find the first part hauntingly sad and the second rather beautiful.