Why, in these modern times, is it still practically unheard of when a husband takes his wife’s last name?
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When Jonathan Matthews met Katie Kraus, he knew there was something different about this young lady. Like many other couples, they became friends a few years earlier and shared common friends as well as a local social scene.
They each dated other people and since Jonathan is a DJ, Katie would bump into him while out dancing, but there was no indication they would someday get together.
But Katie was not like the other girls he dated. She shared so many of his values; most important of these was family. Katie’s father had passed away after a long battle with cancer and this made her family even more important now.
Everyone around them commented about their connection and how loving and happy these two lovebirds looked. It was something magical to witness. I see many relationships each day and these two really had something special.
After dating for a year, Jonathan proposed and Katie said yes. Friends and family were overjoyed and the planning and celebration began. With all the excitement and enthusiasm of those around them, they moved ahead toward the big day.
Jonathan wanted to do something special for Katie and her family to show his gratitude. He began thinking of ways to show this special woman how much he loved her. We’ve all watched the YouTube videos of couples sharing their proposals with flash mobs, jumping out of planes holding signs and hiring farmers to write names in a crop of corn.
None of these were big enough for Jonathan. Katie deserved something more awesome than any of these.
He decided to take her last name as his own.
That’s right. Forever. He would become Jonathan Kraus. Whoa.
♦◊♦
I’ll never forget the morning I turned on my computer, jumped on Facebook and saw this post. Katie announced to the world that this amazing young man had gone beyond for her and her family.
To honor her father. And to carry on the family name. Katie has no brothers.
I was blown away by this. I immediately reached out to them and asked if we could meet so I could hear all about it first hand.
What would his family, especially his father, think? What about his co-workers? Friends? Especially the guys.
This act is the kind of thing that opens minds, hearts, legal precedents, and impacts future generations. This is big.
Although Jonathan’s decision met with mixed emotions, the two got married earlier this year and life is progressing beautifully. The couple is expecting their first child and we’re all happily watching their love grow each day.
Everyone in their lives felt the impact of this courageous young man’s decision and devotion. My favorite part of his story is when he described the looks on the faces of his co-workers. As a salesman at Verizon by day, Jonathan wears a nametag. The day he got his new nametag reading “Jonathan Kraus”, and those shocked faces will remain powerful reminders of this unconditionally loving act.
I know I’ll be following up on this story after their child is born to hear all the questions about family names and once they go to school, all the questions from teachers and classmates when they discuss genealogy.
As far as great gifts are concerned, this one is up there on the “top ten best of all time” list.
If you know of others who have gone above and beyond for their partners, please share them with me in the comments.
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Photo: Evan Forester / flickr
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I was so excited to see this posted … and extremely disappointed when I read it.
According to this, women have been giving the “top ten gifts of all time” for generations, just without comment or commendation. Not once has it been referred to as a “courageous” or evidence of exceptional “devotion”.
Instead of supporting men in their personal, individual decisions, being part of the conversation in a community that encourages equality and expands roles outside tradition, you’ve just put another nail in their box.
that was the sweetest article I’ve ever read it made me cry and I’m not ashamed to say it.my girlfriend that I currently withtold me a long time ago that she wouldn’t take nobody up since last name.but she wouldn’t have to I would take hers happily
My daughter wanted to keep her name when she got married … Wasn’t gonna happen. She even said her husband was okay with it as well as his side of the family …. didn’t happen. I would have been very disappointed had she done it.