"What's in a name? That which we call a rose. By any other name would smell as sweet." William Shakespeare.
I am Jasmine Amies-King.
Well I have been for the last 3 months.
27 years previous to that I was Jasmine Scott.
Alas, Jasmine Scott has ceased to exist ( well, in most things, I still have the odd Iceland bonus card with my maiden name on, but I doubt I will venture out to get one with my new name on it!)
Rewind 3-4 months ago, with all the wedding and honeymoon planning and all the adulting in between, changing my name didn't get much thought.
To be fair, it was never a question of whether or not I would change my name. I am quite traditional when it comes to things like that, and with my husband having a double barrelled name, there were no modern options of forming a new surname or blending surnames together.
But when I got a phone call the other day, and the first question, after hello, was, is this Mrs Jasmine Amies-King? After what can only be described as too long of a pause for such a simple question, that was to be followed by a short non complicated answer, I replied, "Yes, that's me..."
The rest of that phone call is irrelevant. However, the philosophical overload of thoughts and feelings that followed, is in parts, somewhat relevant to this post.
I can't be the only newly wed to experience this. That feeling of being me, but becoming someone else...If anyone can relate to this, please, please let me know!!!!
For 27 years I was me, Jasmine Scott. I had figured out what that name represented. That name had grown with me as a person, from the childhood me at school, to gaining that teenage attitude, to the university student, to the young professional, to the career changer. The sports fanatic, the hardworker, the girl determined to be better tomorrow than today.
Now I know, I am still me, and I expect the comments of "getting married doesn't change who you are". ( feel free to say that in your best teacher/older wiser person voice!) I get that. But I feel I have to "become" Jasmine Amies-King. I feel that I need to shape what that name represents.
And, do you know what, I think getting married has changed me to a certain extent. I am a Mrs not a Miss. I am a Wife now, I have a husband and thats a HUGE change!
Jasmine Amies-King was not the name on the letter I recieved aged 11 saying I had pased my 11+ and got into my secondary school of choice. Jasmine Amies-King was not the name on my GCSEs and IB Results envelope, or the name read out by the Master of Ceremonies at my University graduation. That was Jasmine Scott.
And while I am still me, I am also becoming Jasmine Amies-King. Shaping the things this name will represent. Because Jasmine Amies-King is the name that shows I have married my best friend. It is the name, in which I did my first shift as a HCPC registered Paramedic. It is the name in which I will buy my first house, the name in which will hopefully see me become a Mother and the name in which many future memories and achievements will be made.
Jasmine Scott represents me, it represents everything I have been through, worked hard for and achieved.
Jasmine Amies-King is me.
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