Bless the Broken Road of Life (and Divorce)

There was a death in my family recently.

I had to travel out of state for it,

 so I spent a lot of time in the car.

It gave me time to think...

The death was difficult for me

and brought up a lot of memories 

(both good and bad).

It led me to remember where I came from, 

how I got here, 

and everything which happened in between.

And, for a while, I felt sad and sorry for all those bumps in the road....

but, then I realized...

They all led me 

here,

and 'here' is where I'm supposed to be.

You're divorce is part of your destiny; you cannot change it,
but you can be grateful for it.

Today, make a list of at least 3 amazing reasons why you are divorced (or on the broken road).

Here are my 3 amazing reasons for the broken roads in my life:

1) My 3 Beautiful Children 

2 ) The Woman/Parent I Have Become

3) My Amazing New Husband

Bless the Broken Road

Time Heals You Both (and Changes Who You Are)

There's an old saying:
 'time heals all wounds'...

 and it's true.

But, there's something else it does...

It changes people.

Divorce can leave a person feeling lost and not know who they are...

There's a delicate balance between finding you and creating the new you.

Here are Five Ways to Become Genuine, New Person After Divorce:

Do things you used to love

Try new things

Revisit old friends

Reconnect with family

Stay close to those you trust

Read books that support personal growth

Take a vacation (alone)

Start a journal

Forgive yourself

Celebrate life
Accept the past, look to the future

'Time cures sorrows and squabbles, because we all change and are no longer the same person.

Neither the offender nor the offended is the same.'

~ Blaise Pascal

Why Does Divorce Have to Be the End of Everything?

TRUE:

Divorce is the end of our marriage,

 and a chapter in our lives,

But, it doesn't have to be the end of our world, 

our life,

or our happiness!

TRUE:

'Nobody can go back and start a new beginning...

but 

Anyone can start today and make a new ending.'

-Maria Robinson

LET GO OF YOUR OLD STORY, 

AND REWRITE A NEW ONE WITH A MAGNIFICENT ENDING!

TODAY!!!!

INSPIRING READ IF YOU WANT TO BEGIN WORKING ON A BETTER LIFE AFTER DIVORCE.

dare to dream after divorce....

A Funny Divorce Quote and A Note to Young Lovers

"Whenever I date a guy I think, 'Is this the man I want my children to spend their weekends with?' - Rita Rudner

This quote was funny to me at first, because Rita Rudner is funny, and I'm divorced with children.

But, then I realized, a young woman in love usually dreams about the opposite:

 'Will this guy be a good father and husband?'

That's when I thought this quote was scary.

It's not only imperative that my children choose the right partner for life/marriage, because I want them to be happy and have a healthy relationship and children, if they choose this lifestyle,

but also because divorce is a free right, and very commonly done in the U.S., 

so I want them to consider their rough patches in a more serious light, prior to marriage.

They need to ask themselves, 'If I don't like this now, how will it be if I wind up divorced from this person (which is a dirty business) and co-parenting for the rest of my life with them...

A Note for All Young Loves and Potential Marriages:

It doesn't get better after marriage and it surely won't get better after divorce...

Please pay attention to signs, red flags and issues...

No amount of love and wedding bells, or children, will fix these things.

And, it would be better to reevaluate now, before you live the rough patch, for the rest of your life, 

and as that person's worst enemy because then it's even less fun.

Not a downer, 

just the truth.

Marriage is serious business.

And should not be taken lightly.

Are You Worried Your Divorce Is Destroying Your Children?

If you're divorced with kids, you might still be battling the guilt that goes with being divorced. But, I want to let you know, you shouldn't let it eat you alive.

First of all, it's already done, and you can't go back and change things.

Secondly, according to a piece written by Mary Parke regarding a research study done by CLASP (Center for Law and Social Policy), it's possible that the quality of the parent's relationship can be more significant in your children's life, than divorce.


Even though I've always thought this was true, (hence why I left my 'X') it's one of those things most people like to see in writing before they believe it...


This is what I've always thought: 
"How could it be better for a kid (or kids) to deal with horrible repeat fights, constant underlying stress and the discord between two parents, over a divorce?" I just could never believe it was, and I worried that my children would grow up witnessing our continued mistakes then go out and repeat them...


Here's the article:
Doesn’t the Quality of the Relationship Matter More Than the Piece of Paper?

The quality of the relationship between parents matters to child well-being. Children who grow up in married families with high conflict experience lower emotional well-being than children who live in low-conflict families, and they may experience as many problems as children of divorced or never-married parents.47 Research indicates that marital conflict interferes with the quality of parenting. Furthermore, experiencing chronic conflict between married parents is inherently stressful for children, and children learn poor relationship skills from parents who aren’t able to solve problems amicably. When parents have a highly discordant relationship, children are often better off in the long run if their parents divorce. Between 30 and 40 percent of divorces of couples with children are preceded by a period of chronic discord between the parents. In these situations, children do better when their parents divorce than if they stay married.48 


Seems that if parents who absolutely cannot get a long at all, go through with divorce, they help children avoid learning the ill-handled conflict and poor relationship and communication habits. (Hence why it's best to get help to learn how to improve these, but it's not all parents benefit from it, which leads us back to the divorce option.)


In my own personal case, I know that this time around in my second marriage, my children see two adults dealing with our disagreements better. We are not perfect, but we do handle our disagreements better and communicate more successfully than my first husband and I did. Although I did feel very guilty after my divorce because I really thought I might be messing up my kids, I have learned that they are witnessing a much healthier relationship, and will benefit from this today, and always. Hopefully, I will help them break the cycle. (That was the goal.)

What made you feel guilty about your divorce?

How do you think your children have benefited through the divorce?