i am having an identity crisis.

at church on sunday, i walked up to take communion from the pastor, who happened to be personally serving the bread that day. "i don't think we've met," he quickly whispered. "i'm andrea," i said, pleasantly surprised to meet a pastor that still notices new faces. i began to step away as he touched my elbow. "andrea what?" hmm? oh, "sieg. i mean, um, synowiec, i guess. we just...." my time had run out, the next person was reaching for the bread, and i squinted a little and walked back to my pew. dave's eyes were twinkling. he thinks it's funny, and it is, mostly.

"what's in a name? a rose by any other name would smell as sweet," dave quotes to me later on that day. i've been thinking about it a lot, actually. what changes when you get married? first and most obvious to me so far are #1 - my name, and #2 - all the fun stuff we're now allowed to do together :) you can read into that all you want, and you'd be reading exactly what i mean. and in case you're wondering, yes, things are working out w-o-n-d-e-r-f-u-l-l-y. i am marvelously glad that we waited. perhaps i'll expound upon that another time.

it's notable that, in the Bible, God changed several people's names when a huge event happened in their lives. i don't think i've yet experienced the extent that marriage has changed my relationship with david. it is undeniably amazing that we get to go home together every night. i love knowing that our families will just have to deal with us only being around for the holidays that work out for us. or that if we want to spend Christmas morning alone, that it's actually ok because we are a family now. but then there's the long-term stuff - that we will eventually have children. that we will (potentially) move somewhere together, buy a house, and make a life that is just ours. that he is now responsible for me in a hundred ways, and i am responsible for him. a HUGE change. so yeah, now we can have sex and my last name is different, but i know that's just the tip of the iceburg.

so when i hear someone call me by my new name, i think i feel a little shocked at the iceburg attached to it. shocked, and thrilled, and happy. a huge change has occurred, and it will change me, and i'm excited to see what else is attached to the new name i have.

but here, of course, i'll always just be andie.