Why I'm keeping my name

My last name is my last name. It is just as much a part of my identity as how tall I am or what color eyes I have, and its something I've never wanted to change.  Little girls in grade school would practice writing their name in their best cursive with their crush, at the time, last name.  All I wanted was to become Doctor Miller and it looked pretty great scrawled over my notebooks. I never thought about backlash and judgement, and bride bashing for wanting to keep my last name. I love Josh, I made a commitment and vowed to spend the rest of my life with him, and a last name is not part of nor does it have to be a part of that commitment.
When my friend got married and didn't change her name she warned me about the comments and I didn't believe her.
And then they came rolling in, from friends, family and strangers at the bank.
Comments I've received:
"How will people know who you belong to?"
The answer of course is I belong to myself and I refuse to be owned by anyone.  I am my own person sharing my life with the love of my life."
"Not changing your name?  How will they know he's your husband?"
The answer of course is they don't have to know anything.  I'm not marrying Josh to show my outward commitment to him with the rest of the world.  This is a sacred commitment between Josh and I.  If other people assume we are dating, or related, or just not that serious, I don't care. My relationship is between myself, God, and Josh.
"Not changing your name, don't you love him?"
The answer is of course I do.  I love Josh with every fiber of my being, which is exactly the reason why I'm spending the rest of my life with him.  A last name will never change how much I love him.
"Not changing your name, oh are you going to keep your name for professional reasons?"
The answer, perhaps when I was little that was my ambition, but the answer has evolved as have I.
"Not changing your last name, do you not like his last name?"
The answer is difficult, Reid is a lot like Miller, and I don't have a problem with either.  My favorite last name I've ever heard is Carmichael (Also the name of my imaginary boyfriend growing up) but I'm not changing my name to that either.
"When you have kids what will their last name be?"
Good question, and I don't have an answer, and I don't mind or have a problem with their last name being Reid or Miller.

Before Josh it was just Me

My name is my name and its been that way for the last quarter century, and it will probably remain that way until I die.

After Josh it was we 

Our wedding cards all said Mrs. and Mr. Reid, and I'm not irritated or ungrateful, that is tradition, and I'm not all that traditional.  Its a tradition that I've put a tremendously large amount of thought into, and it's not something that suited me or my needs.  I won't be changing my name or hyphenating my name, and I don't expect or encourage Josh to change his either.  To those of you that have I hope just as much thought was involved and it wasn't only about tradition.