For some reason, when asked this very question last weekend, it confused me and my husband for a moment. I never confuse the question when directed at me or Jerry. I can say mine faster than I can blink. Jerry too. My name is Cindy XYZ and this is my husband Jerry LMNOP. Yes, I know it's confusing, we don't share the same last name and no, I am not the wife (or daughter) of the famous Stan XYZ who works at the same organization as us (Jer and me), nor am I related to his daughter with same name who also works with us. But yes, I am indeed married to this guy who also works with us XYZ folks, but bares no resemblance to us in name. This is why the question was innocently asked of us last weekend. What last name did you give your kids seeing that you two don't share one? And yet I searched my brain for a moment for letters that we do not own, for names that would be harder for her to pronounce and remember. Names that flutter from native Amharic speakers. Oh yeah, I remember, it is LMNOP, the name of their father, we gave them Jerry's last name. Huh, how weird that their original Ethiopian last name was the one that came to our minds first . . . The fact that my boys are Ethiopian (Ethiopian!) is something I can't seem to shake from my mind because, frankly, it excites me.
My Boys, My Family
Friends, Brothers, & Sons
6 comments:
THe boys are looking so grown up in these pictures.
Lynn
We are waiting for a sibling referral and have the same last name issue. They will probably have my husband's last name, too! Wish there was another solution, but I can't think of one :)
Awwwwww, they are all so cute, can't wait to see them...soon! Sira and Bereket are walking along holding hands in one picture, how sweet is that!
Lovin' those boys!!!!
we have the same issue. the twins have both of our last names (jon's first, then mine) and they're very proud of their ability to say all 5 of their names. but already i see them getting us confused. if jon doesn't answer to "dada" or, more recently "daddy-o" then they call him jon (hislastname)(mylastname). I'm all for the whole family taking that as our last names, but jon isn't having that.
Too funny. I'd much rather have your "problem" over the archaic and sexist tradition of a woman symbolically tattooing herself w/her husband's family name after they get married. America has come so far on some issues but still has so much farther to go on others. :)
Peace,
Emily B. (married to Rich P. waiting for a referral of Ethio Siblings with the future last name of B.-P.)
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