What's in a Name?

I love my new business cards. I've received nothing but positive feedback since I've been handing them out. I should really attribute that to the beautiful graphics that were set up for me beforehand. I'm truly very proud of the cards and I feel like they represent me and my company exactly the way that I want to be represented.

The problem? My name. My mother and several relatives (surprise, surprise) have asked why I haven't gone back to my maiden name. They want to know why I've attached my ghastly married name to my growing company.

Why would I attach my ghastly maiden name to my growing company?

I've always hated my maiden name. It sounded funny. I got teased growing up. That didn't phase me as much as the fact that it represents the side of my that belongs to my father. I am grateful for a handful of life lesson's my dad has handed me over the years. I work hard. I have a high sense of pride in my work and myself. I hold myself to the highest standards. Just enough will never be good enough for me. However, let's be honest. My dad and I will never exist on a level that most daughters float on with their respective fathers. We won't be best buds. He won't be walking me down any aisle. If I ever popped out kids, I know he would love them and be great with them, but he will never look at me or my siblings with any form of loving sentiment or pride. We failed him. I failed him.

So, why in hell would I put him name back at the end of mine? My ex-husband doesn't really deserve to have him name tacked on there, either, but legally that's what it is, and it's more trouble than it's worth to go about looking for a new name to trump his.

I know people take a lot of pride in their names. I know it means something to them. I know it ties them to their roots and makes them feel like they belong to something older and greater than themselves. Well, I don't feel any of that.

I may never change my name because I don't think I'm ever going to be married again. If fate decides to shake things up for me and I'm headed to everlasting bliss with someone else, then I would probably take on their last name. It's just a show of my commitment to them. It's just a label. And labels fall off all the time.

Seriously, what's in a name?