When I went through my divorce, I felt intimidated to be on my own after more than 20 years of being a couple. Even though I had initiated the split, there were many times when I wondered if I could manage - how would I do taking the children overseas to England and to South Africa – how would I manage the household maintenance and would I be OK on the weekends when the children weren’t with me?
I started to keep a list in my journal – some of it’s stupid stuff – like actually setting a mousetrap and getting rid of the mouse I caught. Or climbing up the 14 foot ladder to change the light bulb in the hall chandelier. I’ve put up shelves and curtain rods – that was once I realized that the electric drill didn’t work very well because I had it reverse!
Now what I’m most proud of is that I’m doing this – it’s been quite a journey – taking the severance from my 20+ year career in financial services, getting up the courage to end my marriage, completing a master’s in journalism. It wasn’t that my ex-spouse was stopping me – it was just I was so unhappy, I was going through the motions of living. Now I feel like I’m doing what I’m supposed to be doing and living life the way I was meant to. You can read more about my journalism work at my online portfolio.
Is there something you’ve accomplished since your divorce that you’re really proud of? Something you’ve done that you’ve always wanted to but weren’t able to while you were married? What have you learned about dating after divorce? If you have a story you’d like to share, please contact me, Mandy@sincemydivorce.com. We’ll talk ……
