After 25 years...I lose a piece of me

Tomorrow I will officially change my name...that means that I am letting go of a HUGE part of my identity. All through life people called me Sara Terry. It was almost as if my first and last name were fused together and could not be separated. In third grade I was Sara T. not to be confused with Sarah S. As a teacher I've been Ms. Terry. Now, as I officially complete the marrital duty of taking on my husband's name (because I really want to), I'm losing part of who I have always been. I'm losing my last name.

Of course, as I lose my last name, I gain another name...a new part of me. But this new part doesn't have as much meaning as the old. The old ties me to my family. A family I'm very proud to be part of. The old ties me to my lineage- where I'm from I'm not sure- but it's a good history. The old starts with a consonant, has double letters, and ends with a y. And, yea, so does the new.

I guess going from Terry to Moody isn't that crazy. I mean, kids never made fun of Terry. There isn't much to make fun of. It's really plain. On the other hand...Moody...there's so many places to go with that. I'm not looking forward to the adult humor it will encourage.

I'm not taking the old with me. I figure that if I'm losing the old I should lose it completely. There won't be a Sara Terry Moody out there. That just sounds odd. But, Sara Marie Moody has a sweet ring to it.

It's time to work on my new signature and get ready to be Mrs. Moody in the classroom. It'll take some time for my ears to adjust to the new ring, but I believe I'll be able to do it. It may take the rest of the staff at the school to catch on. I believe I'll probably be Ms. Terry for as long as I teach at Tri Cities. But, I'll know the difference, my students will know the difference, and, most importantly, my husband will know the difference.

Secondary Solace

It seems that life offers very little solace from the craziness of work, love, and staying healthy. Every job not only ups the anti every other day to pile the work higher and require more hours and more effort for the same amount of money, but it also adds emotional stress and frustrations that lie beneath the surface and explode in moments of happiness and solace.
Love is a beautiful thing and I don't know where I'd be without my love, Matt. But, the idea of love is far more romantic than the actual act of loving someone. Love isn't easy- the patience it requires, the selfishness it repeatedly exposes, and the flexibility it builds- yet it is addicting. Planning a wedding to showcase the love is more stressful than being with Matt and simply loving him.
Health is such a relative word. Are we healthy if we're not over weight? Are we healthy if we can run 3 miles non-stop? Are we healthy if we ingest 5 servings of fruits and vegetables every day? How are we to stay healthy with all the time we spend on our jobs and on each other (and on other random things like weddings)? How are we to measure our health? If we feel good? If our tests are all within the correct range? If we never outgrow our clothes? Am I healthy?
I guess today I'm just wishing that I had a little more time to focus on the little things that have nothing to do with my daily scheduled life but are directly connected to the health of my inner being and soul.