The First Weird Moment

I came home for lunch today to a familiar sight -- my newly married son's car in the driveway -- and instead of thinking, "I wonder what he's doing home?" I find myself thinking, "What is he doing at MY house?"

He was here to do a little laundry and was catching up on thank you notes, so good and good, but still, it was just so strange, because it was the first time he's ever been here that it felt like I had a visitor rather than a son hanging out.

But it wasn't the first weird moment today. Just before 6:30 a.m. our phone rang, and it was the airline my daughter-in-law flew back into town on yesterday, trying to contact her because they had her purloined luggage.

When I answered the phone, the woman said, "May I speak with Miss Marsh?"

I said, "I'm sorry, you must have the wrong number."

As she apologized, I realized she meant "Miss Marsh who is now Mrs. Lucas" and thankfully, caught her before she hung up the phone.

That Jackie has taken Luke's paternal ancestral name is a lovely thing, although I would have understood if she had kept her own. More than once I've wished I'd kept mine, if only because it might have come in handy, living in the city in which my maiden name can still open an occasional door.

But the really lovely thing is that I am married to a man who has made an impression on his adopted hometown, and has a fine, fine reputation, and so I have the luxury of knowing that my sons might benefit as much from his name as my father's name might have benefited me.

All in all, just lovely and grateful thoughts about names and who "belongs" to whom today.