Mrs.

This week, a coworker commented on me being a "Mrs." She told someone else in our conversation that I would understand what she meant & agree with her about losing my identity being a mrs and a wife and a mom. I know that a lot of women today feel that way, but I must confess that although I understand what she is saying, for me it is not true.

Maybe I am just weird, or really old-fashioned for my age, but I had to give her the blank look and tell her that I truly don't feel that way. I don't know why, but I don't. I guess I'm not a feminist or something, although I am not in the dark ages either. I just don't feel like I have lost myself by being a mrs. or taking my husband's name (which also came up) or being his wife or the kids' mom. That is all part of who I am, my identity. I am still me (whoever that may be)- no matter what the name is or what the title I am being called by. I know many will differ and that' s okay; I'm just saying that for me, my identity is many things: a kid who was named after her grandmother & a Bible times person, an older sister, a daughter, granddaughter, niece... As an adult I added other titles, wife, college student & grad, mom (my personal favorite), friend, teacher, and hopefully the one that shows the most, Christian. Being a mrs. is not a putdown, insult, or negation of the true me; it's just part of who I am. It's a part I also love a lot.

Yeah, there are days I would like to not hear my name "Mrs. Thomas" a million times over by a room full of 5 year olds, but I wouldn't trade being Mrs. Thomas for any other name in the world. Besides I wouldn't have wanted to be Ms. Lott all my life. No offense to my dad, but that name forever? Yuck!