The Mantle of a Family Name

I got a text message from Joanna’s future mother-in-law yesterday. Her name appeared on my text screen, Valerie Meccia. It gave me pause. Soon my daughter will be called Joanna Meccia. She will leave her Paul name behind, and put on the mantle of the Meccia family. She will become a Meccia woman, just like Janice and Trisha are Paul women. It made me a bit sad. But it’s what we women do. We leave our family and join another. It’s what I did, leaving my Barbee name behind. Men do the same, but they always keep their family name and the “family line”.

Just some thoughts …