Identity Crisis

Just a little bit of fun to give you all a chuckle today….

So recently, I started a new part-time job with my church as the Nursery-Preschool Director (post regarding said new job coming soon) and it’s been great! But there has been a funny thing that keeps happening… you might call it a case of mistaken identity.

Let’s back up a second…  There are a couple of services at our church, and because of that there are many people that I know their face, but not their name (and vice versa). Well, since this is the case for me, I’m sure it’s the case for others. So, I think that’s where this identity crisis gets it’s start. 

You see, my in-laws go to the same church as we do. No, not just my mother- and father-in-law, but also one sister-in-law, a brother-in-law, and yet another brother-in-law and his wife (another sister-in-law)!  And since it’s my hubby’s side of the family, we all share the same last name. (see where I’m going with this?) So, there are some people at church who know my hubby and I. Others know my parents-in-law. Still others know my brother-in-law and his wife. Some know all of us. You get the picture.

So when I took this job, it was announced to the church and all that good stuff, but I had to jump right in and hit the ground running, so I didn’t necessarily get to have a “proper introduction” with all the volunteers, etc. So MANY of them have only seen my name, and if they’ve seen my face, they haven’t connected the two. That can cause some confusion on it’s own. When you have family members sharing your last name in the same church? Even more confusion.

You all know my name: Kristy Heilman. Well, guess what my mother-in-law’s name is? Kari Heilman. Look pretty similar on paper, right?  And that is where things get sticky. See, I am a Sunday school teacher (of 2&3 year olds) and now the Nursery-Preschool Director. My mother-in-law does counseling (along with my father-in-law) and has also recently spoken at one of our church’s women's events. So, both of our names are out there… and now we’re finding some people will mix us up. Not because we look alike (in-laws, you remember) but because our names are so similar, and they don’t know our faces! So, they see us at church, read our name tag and mistake us for the other. Or answer an email from one of us thinking it’s the other. This has caused my mom-in-law and I to have a good laugh more than once! I’m thinking one of these days we may have to just go stand in front of the church and get this straight! ;)

My lovely mother-in-law…

And little ol’ me…

What? Don’t you see the resemblance?! ;)

P.S. This isn’t the first time this has happened… When my hubby was but a child, my mom-in-law and HER mom-in-law were confused at a church that they both attended! (Mom- Kari Heilman, Grandma- Karen Heilman) So, I just see this as us carrying on a family tradition, right?