It isn’t easy, changing your name. I know, I have done it.

It is far more complicated than changing your mind that is for sure. Yet, every day, people do it.

New driver’s license, social security card, passport, bank accounts, credit cards, store cards…mail coming from the post office and yes, even e-mail. Those were the things I had to change over 20 years ago.

Eeesh. Yup. That long ago…in a city not so far away.

The list is longer today, I am sure there are things with aliases that you might want to edit, too.

Whether it is recently married. Recently divorced (harder to do I would think.) Or, trying to be different on Facebook. I knew that a friend of mine was getting divorced when she changed her name on Facebook…it wasn’t just because she wanted to be more anonymous. That would require a whole list of other things to do, too.

What are the thoughts you go through? Should I keep my maiden name? (Egads, what a crazy term, as if any of us are maids!) Should I hyphenate? Should we both hyphenate? What if both names are too long? Or – and this also happened to someone I know – we don’t really like the name; ever since we were a child, it was something that people made into a joke. Oh, and what about the children, what will they use??

Do whatever feels right is what I would say. In fact, I do say. In the end, it is just a name and you are still who you are.It’s a personal preference. Don’t worry about what your family says (they will probably have something to say.) Don’t worry about what your friends did or think you should do (and have already told you as much.)

Nothing matters as long as you aren’t changing your outlook on life and you know exactly how you want to live with the love you have found.

~ Dawn aka Hat Girl

PS See ^ you could say I did it twice…