When my parents were dating, they sometimes corresponded by mail. My mom always signed her letters with the pen name “Jennifer”. By the time I was on my way, there was no question what the name would be for their first baby girl.
Today my dad has been gone for three and a half years. He was always up for advice and when I think about what I’d ask him now, the first question might be: Do you think I’m going to be “Jen Lemen” for the rest of my life? This is my married name, not the one he gave me, and while it seems strange to go back to my maiden name Hammond, now that I’m long divorced, it doesn’t seem odd at all to entertain his first name James for my last.
No matter what. I’m ready to take a skip into the future and speak from there, back into the now as the person I will someday be. A kind of intuitive experiment if you will. If you wanna play along, send a question or describe your dilemma to hello@thepathofdevotion.com (300 words more or less?) with ASK JEN JAMES in the subject line and I’ll answer as I’m able, publishing what feels right in these pages every Sunday night. Your identity will be kept anonymous so sign creatively for the column.
Let’s have fun with it.
All the love,
Jen James