The name of this blog resulted from the conflicting feelings of now having 4 names, post marriage. I didn’t realize the complex nature of first deciding on my new name (and debating if I should in fact have a new name), then coming to terms with the new identity of that name and finally working thru the paperwork to acquire said new name.

1. Marriage Certificate: I innocently and ignorantly didn’t realize I needed to decide on this new identity upon gaining my marriage license. In my head, the name change and decision to change ones name would be gradual and almost casual post marriage. A few days before getting the marriage license I quickly wrote my to-be new name in print and script and thought, this looks great!
2. What is in a name? It is one’s entire identity, hence why I chose to hyphenate my name. At the age of 35 I felt bonded with my last name and doing away with it seemed to be a disservice to single me.
3. Wanting to one day have the same name as my kids. Yep. it’s that simple.

Having 4 names, while bothersome when completing forms or hearing a cashier say “wow, that’s a really long name” when swiping my credit card, allows me to build upon my identity. This dual last name enables me to think about myself and growth in a way that I may not have pre-marriage.