The Hooray Collective
Losing My Last Name
This post “Losing My Last Name” originally appeared on May 22, 2014 at The Hooray Collective. Go over there to see the incredible work they are doing.
In 23 days I am getting married.
The next time you hear from me, I will go by a different name. While my first and middle name will remain the same, my last name will have changed. I’ll have a new driver’s license (with brown hair, not blonde like my current license) and a new last name. Once I become Mrs. O, I’ll now fall in the middle of the alphabet, and I’ll have to listen for a new name to be called when I pick up prescriptions.
And I consider this a very beautiful thing.
I’m looking forward to sharing a last name with the man I love. I look forward to sharing my step-son’s last name with him as well.
But yet…
I’ll miss my last name.
I’ll miss the connection it gives me to my parents and my brothers and my nieces and nephews. I’ll miss the connection it gives me to my grandmother and grandfather who are no longer with us. I recognize myself as Miss C. Soon, I won’t be her any longer.
I’ve always wanted to change my last name when I got married so that I’d share a name with my husband. So this was an easy decision for me. I just didn’t expect to feel so nostalgic about my current last name. I toyed with keeping it as a middle name, but what would I do with my current middle name? In the end, I chose to just switch last names, and say goodbye to my maiden name.
I can’t be the only person who has experienced this nostalgia before. How did you all feel when you changed your name?
Losing My Last Name: Just Who Am I?
Today you can find me at The Hooray Collective talking about my choice to change my last name with marriage.
On Growth: Build Your Foundation First
Find me at The Hooray Collective: “Overwhelmed”
Find me over at Hooray Collective talking about how I feel overwhelmed, and what I’m doing to change this!
Reactive Feelings
I’m over at The Hooray Collective today writing about Danielle Laporte’s The Desire Map and how reactive feelings guide my life. Check it out when you have a chance.
While you’re over there, you might want to check out Doniree’s Don’t Be Lazy post. I love how she simplifies her goal to the year to make it even more true to herself. I also think this is something we could all really live by. Let’s push ourselves a bit, friends.
Or, check out Kristin’s Boring post. She’s basically asking us to keep on our toes. Switch things up. Go with the flow. (I adore her mother’s quote in this post.)
I am THAT mom
Eight Things I’m Okay With Liking
Two days ago I posted about the 8 things that I am okay with not liking. I thought it would be fun to do a follow-up post featuring 8 random things I am actually okay with. What are your 8 items?
- Ben & Jerry’s Strawberry Cheesecake ice cream. This isn’t my normal “type” of ice cream, but for months and months now, I just can’t get enough of it. It is my guilty pleasure and my occasional night-time snack.
- Using too many organizational systems. I haven’t quite figured out works for me yet, but I do know that if I don’t write something down it doesn’t exist. This is why I need a planner. I really would like to become more digital with my organization, but I’m sticking with what works for now.
- The Red Sox. I’ve had a tough past year with the Red Sox. Saying I was upset that Terry Francona was let go is a huge understatement, and a team that I couldn’t even recognize was tough for me. But here’s the thing: when you are a Boston fan, you need to learn to roll with the punches. Teams change, and while it isn’t easy to adjust to, if you’re a real fan, you simply must adjust…and I’m a real fan.
- Minor PDA. I love Mr. O, and I also love holding his hand and giving him kisses. I by no means grope the guy in public, but I love being able to walk hand in hand with him.
- Bleach. I love the smell of it. I love to wash my whites with a lot of bleach, and I love to use it to clean my apartment.
- Project Life and everything that goes along with it. Yes, there may be scraps of paper, and yes I do spend money on printing photos, but I still love documenting my year, and I can’t wait to start the 2013 album.
- Pinterest. It is such a guilty pleasure of mine. I waste way too much time just scrolling through the site, but I love it so much. If we aren’t friends yet, then you should friend me on there.
- Naps. I love to nap. I’ve probably only napped a handful of times in the past year, but I still love it so much. I relish every nap I take, and wish I could take more.