Less than one hundred....

...is how many days are left before I graduate! It is incredibly monumental. I have had that countdown up for quite some time and the days are slowly dwindling. Then again, I'm already halfway through my first student teaching placement so maybe time is not moving so slowly.

I have applied for graduation and entered my name exactly how I want it to appear on my diploma. That moment gave me a chill of excitement. I had already decided what I wanted on my diploma but I wanted to make completely sure of my choice before I entered and pushed the final submit button. After I did that, there would be no going back.

It may seem strange that I had problems deciding what I wanted on my diploma. I mean, your name is your name. It doesn't change on a whim. Well, maybe some people's do but mine doesn't. Anyway, my legal name is my first name, Amanda, followed by my middle name and my married last name of Deardorff. When I got married I completely dropped my maiden name legally. So logically, my legal name would appear on my diploma. It is my name after all. However, I completed over half of my college career with my maiden name. It was actually the most difficult half due to family problems and personal issues. In those years I feel I gained the most "life knowledge." I struggled with school, had to drop out a few times, and went back while overcoming major difficulties. When I got married, I took on new struggles but really, without having already overcome so much, I would have never been able to deal with the troubles during the second half of my college life. I also feel it is important to honor my parents, especially my mother, who has pushed so hard for me to complete my degree and helped me gain a foothold in the world of education. When I got married, while she was happy I found someone so wonderful who made me so happy, she commented that she was sorry that none of her children would graduate college with their maiden name, which of course is also her name.

So here is what I am getting at. I decided that my diploma should have both my maiden and married last names. I have omitted my middle name and replaced it with my maiden name. Just for my diploma, that is. And for when I become a famous writer. I think I'll use it as a pen name. :o)

This may not mean a whole lot to anyone but it is symbolic for me and hopefully for my mother as well. I want to honor what she has done for me. The fact that she has overcome a lifetime of troubles so that I might have a better life is not lost on me. And hopefully my children can say the same thing about me someday.

I cannot wait for graduation....have I said that yet? :o)