I’ve no doubt that legally speaking, it will be a spectacular faff. But I really don’t mind. As my mum rightly pointed out, women have been doing it unquestioningly for centuries ✒️ Al Tansley (allivesley) for ipaperviews
My main takeaway from that conversation wasn’t a fully-formed plan to take Phoebe’s name – far from it. The decision took much longer than that. But what Phoebe had said made me notice I didn’t feel that way about my own surname.
What’s more, I don’t necessarily think of my family as “the Livesleys” – my sister changed her surname when she got married and my brother has adopted his stage name full-time, so the emotional ties that continue to bind us haven’t taken the form of a unifying name for years. Ultimately, it’s nothing more complex or deep-rooted than that – either your surname means the world to you, or it doesn’t. My family does.
Two things eventually struck me. I had no problem changing my name, and it would mean an awful lot to Phoebe if I did. And being able to decide to do so was a privilege – so many women through the years must have felt they had no choice. My dad’s reaction when I told him was indifference, but my mum exclaimed “That’s just what you do, isn’t it?!” when I suggested that Phoebe didn’t have to take my surname.
United States Latest News, United States Headlines
Similar News:You can also read news stories similar to this one that we have collected from other news sources.
Friends star David Schwimmer reveals devastating reason behind taking part in celebrity Bake OffDavid Schwimmer is a starry addition to the upcoming line-up of celebs taking part in the Bake Off for Stand Up to Cancer
Read more »
Find out which Emmerdale mum you are by taking on our personality quizThis Emmerdale quiz could be a real voyage of discovery for you
Read more »
CCTV images show 'industrial scale' shoplifter taking clothes as part of huge shops fraudCCTV images have been released of a serial shoplifter who cheated hundreds of High Street shops into giving refunds for items she never bought from them.
Read more »
Judge blasts police as rapist jailed after taking over TWO YEARS to get to court'There is little wonder victims of sexual offences are experiencing an all time low in faith in the criminal justice system'
Read more »
Nottinghamshire brickie taking starring role in BBC3 docu-seriesBrickies was up against Love Island in the British Broadcast Awards earlier this year
Read more »
Tories give wealthy 'permanent tax cut' while taking away £67-a-month from ScotsThe Tories announced 'a huge giveaway for the wealthiest' while taking away £67-a-month from Scots households and promising a 'callous' clamp down on benefits claimants in the Budget
Read more »