Named Change After Divorce

Well its been almost 7 years since my divorce, and I was watching the first season of, "The Starter Wife" and in the last episode Debra Messing (playing character of Molly) finally starts standing up for herself and stated during the divorce compromising, That they were married for I think 13 years and she worked just as hard as he did being a housewife, planning their parties etc., That she wanted half of everything she helped build his career and was a good mother to their daughter, and she wanted half. She ALSO said she wanted her maiden name back, but the clincher for me was that she said, "I want my identity back," she wanted to be that independent, self assured girl she was before her husband. It hit me so that i realized that when I married I started living through his dream and not my own. I married at 20yr and lost track of my dreams and ambitions. I worked 2 jobs and went to school part time to help get him through med school and residency. I totally lost track of what I wanted to be when I grew up. I fell naive to that BS of that we were going to married forever, and that he wouldn`t leave me once he got through it all, and finally started making money. Well, classic story and far from the only one who it has happened to, but back to my point. I dug my divorce decree out and started making necessary changes to be me again and to stop wondering around like I have been going no where for the last almost 7 yrs because I was hurt, really really heart broken. I didn`t realize how painful love could be, but I know how much joy it can bring you to. I think changing your name back to your maiden name is a personal preference, and I can understand if you have children, but either way you have to move on and let go. You have to start over after a divorce or death. It took me 7 years to figure that out and a television show about a rich soon to be divorcee in Hollywood. I hope this helps someone out there, don`t wait, don`t waste 7 years of your precious life to start living again and moving on, and part of that was changing my last name. That is for me though it may be different for others. Life to short you have to get out and embrace each day one at a time.