How I Became Juju

I wasn’t always Juju.

Once upon a time, when my oldest niece Hannah and my nephew Benjamin were little, I was simply Auntie Julie. Perfectly fine. Perfectly respectable. Very adult.

Then, four years later, along came Rachel—and with her, a name that would stick for decades.

At the time, Hannah and Benjamin’s family was getting ready to move to Southern California to be closer to my dad and stepmother. My mom and I were planning to visit a few months later, and I had one very important request:

I asked Hannah and Benjamin to teach baby Rachel how to say my name so she’d know what to call me when we arrived.

“Auntie Julie” was apparently a bit too ambitious for a toddler.

They tried.

Rachel tried.

What came out instead was Juju.

And just like that, Juju was born.

More than twenty years later, I am still Juju. The name stuck harder than glitter in a suitcase.

When Hannah turned 25, I told her she was officially old enough to call me Julie if she wanted. She looked at me and said, “But I like calling you Juju.”

And that was that. Case closed.

When my mom and I visited them in San Diego during that California chapter, we fully embraced our roles as Juju and Grandma. Yes, there were the big adventures—the San Diego Zoo, Legoland, long days at the beach—but some of my favorite memories were the simplest ones.

There were lots of cuddles on the couch, watching “Hannah Montana” on repeat. There was basketball in the driveway, laughter echoing down the block, and that wonderful in-between feeling of being fully present with nowhere else to be. It was pure spoiling—of the kids and of us—and we loved every minute of it.

Thankfully, the California adventure was short-lived—just a year. When they moved back to Ann Arbor, my mom and I were beyond happy to have them close again. Back where visits were easier, hugs were more frequent, and Juju didn’t need a boarding pass.

I may have started out as Auntie Julie, but Juju became something more—

a name wrapped in love, family, memories, and a lifetime of adventures with the people who matter most.

And honestly?

I wouldn’t trade it for anything.

From Juju with Love 💙✈️