“What’s in a name?” That famous line from Shakespeare’s Romeo and Juliet suggests that a name is just a label, and that it doesn’t define a person’s true essence. As Juliet puts it, “That which we call a rose, by any other name would smell as sweet.” Except, of course, when your name is Bodhi.

You guessed it, my name is Bodhi. I’m a Bernedoodle, and I’ll turn six years old on July 23rd. Bernedoodles are a cross between a Bernese Mountain Dog and a Poodle, blending the clever goofiness of the Poodle with the calm, loyal nature of the Bernese Mountain Dog. I’m also low to non-shedding, making me a great choice for people with allergies.

My name, Bodhi, comes from Sanskrit and means awakening or enlightenment. In Buddhist tradition, Bodhi represents the path to nirvana, the ultimate state of peace and wisdom. The Bodhi Tree, known as the Tree of Awakening, holds deep spiritual significance, as it was beneath this tree that Siddhartha Gautama, the Buddha, attained enlightenment. It stands as a symbol of hope, resilience, and profound understanding.

My human brother will tell you I was named after Patrick Swayze’s character in the 1991 movie Point Break. But even Swayze’s character, a thrill-seeking surfer with a free spirit, was named Bodhi after the Bodhisattva, a Buddhist term for an enlightened being.

 

I was born in Butler, Ohio, and at just ten weeks old, I made the journey to my new home in Southbury, Connecticut. That day, October 3, 2019, was a big one, not just for me, but for my parents, Fran and Jeff Tepperman. On that very same day, they closed on their home at 74 Saturday Road in I’On. They flew back from Charleston to Connecticut just in time to welcome me that evening.

 

That nine-hour car ride from Ohio turned out to be just the beginning of my adventures. At least twice a year, my dad and I make the drive from Connecticut in his red pickup truck, heading back to our home in Mount Pleasant, South Carolina. Ask me if I want to go for a ride, and I’ll be in the back seat before you finish the sentence, ready for wherever life takes me next.

 

My parents will tell you that, like my name, I’m kind, mellow, full of quiet wisdom, easy-going, and one with the universe. And if you ask them about the best decisions they’ve made in their 40 years of marriage, they’ll tell you that having their three children, adopting me, and buying their house in I’On, are at the top of the list. We were all fated to be together.

 

So, while Shakespeare may have downplayed the importance of a name, I say mine carries quite a bit of meaning. After all, who wouldn’t want to be named after enlightenment itself?