My daughter's name has a unique spelling. I named her that way to honor my late sister.

• Six weeks before I had my daughter, my sister, Kristin, suffered an aneurysm.
• She passed away, and I named my daughter Kristil in her honor.

As I cradled my newborn daughter in a hospital room in Madison, Wisconsin, a mix of emotions swirled within me.

"Have you decided on a name?" the nurse inquired gently.

My gaze drifted to a nearby photo of my sister, Kristin, who'd passed away weeks earlier, at 17, taken too soon by an aneurysm.

"Her name is Kristil," I said, my voice choked with grief.

My sister was my best friend

Kristin, my only sister, had been the cornerstone of my world. Though she was seven years younger than me, she was my closest sibling. As the only girl among four brothers, I was ecstatic when my dad told me I'd finally have a sister.

We shared an unbreakable bond. I remember pushing her stroller through the streets of our hometown, playfully imagining she was my little girl. During her preteen years, I took her to see her favorite band, the Nelson twins. A couple of years later, she introduced me to hip-hop by sharing her Tupac and Biggie Smalls CDs with me. When I moved away to go to college, we wrote letters and talked every week on the phone. By the time she was in high school and came to live with me, we'd evolved into best friends.

When life's challenges pushed me to the fringes of our family, Kristin remained my anchor. Her kindness and joy in helping prepare for my daughter's arrival and her unwavering belief in my strength to make it as a single mom left an indelible mark on my heart.

I cherish the time we spent together. On weekends we filled our days with shopping at garage sales, soaking up the sun at our neighborhood pool, immersing ourselves in movies, and engaging in card games that left us in fits of laughter, rolling on the floor of my apartment.

I named my daughter after my sister to honor her and further her legacy

Six weeks before my daughter's birth, Kristin suffered a massive aneurysm in my apartment. She died two days later. Her sudden death shattered my world, leaving behind an indescribable emptiness.

Naming my daughter after my sister wasn't just an homage; it was an attempt to keep Kristin's essence alive. Rocking my newborn in my arms, I often felt I was embracing both my daughter and my sister, their lives entwined in a poignant dance of past and present.

As Kristil grew, her milestones were sometimes bittersweet. Each achievement was a celebration tinged with the sadness of Kristin's absence. But in Kristil's laughter and her curiosity, I felt Kristin's spirit surround us — a reminder that love transcends even the finality of death.

The way Kristil would tilt her head in contemplation or her eagerness to explore the world around her mirrored Kristin's own youthful exuberance and inquisitiveness. On her 17th birthday, I held Kristil a little tighter — a silent tribute to Kristin, whose own life journey ended at the same age.

The unique spelling of Kristil's name frequently sparked conversations about Kristin. Through these stories, Kristil grew to understand the aunt she'd never met but whose legacy she carried forward. Each story shared was a thread connecting Kristil to Kristin.

I felt that, like a guiding presence, Kristin carefully oversaw each important moment in Kristil's life, even from the other side. Kristil's early steps echoed the vibrant energy Kristin once exuded, and her academic achievements mirrored the dreams we used to discuss quietly in our shared room. Kristin's aspirations, unfulfilled in her own life, found fruition in Kristil's journey. Watching Kristil flourish, exploring different corners of the world, and finding her place in Paris, I felt as if Kristin's spirit were intertwined with these experiences.

I see how my sister's spirit has influenced both my identity and Kristil's. Our names are more than just labels; they embody a legacy. They serve as a reminder that those we hold dear are never truly gone; their influence persists in shaping, guiding, and inspiring us.