Crazy Thing Called Life
I grew up in a two parent home, experiencing a great childhood, one most people would have loved to live. Some people may have even used the word perfect. When I dreamed of my future, I never expected it to turn out like this. Just out of high school, I traveled the country. While passing through Texas, I met a boy and fell in love. Wedding plans were made and it was done. Again, perfect. So how did I get here? To this unexpected chapter of my life. The chapter where I am 37, divorced, single mother of three and starting over.
Eleven years, that is how long my marriage lasted. I filed for divorce eleven days after our anniversary. The reasons why are not important, my husband and I had grown apart. He had his life and I had mine. Those eleven years were definitely not a total waste; I have three beautiful children to prove that and years of memories
and experiences. The divorce was not a nice one, as most are not and I knew that the kids and I needed a new start. A place to begin again and rebuild our lives.
Ponca City, Oklahoma. Sounded like a good place to make our start. We loaded up and headed south, hoping to find warm weather and friendly faces. We found both. It was here, in this quaint little town that I got my first job in the healthcare industry which led to the desire and courage to go back to school and pursue a career in nursing. It was here that my children excelled in their schoolwork and received numerous awards and outstanding grades. It was also here that I gained the strength to realize that I can do this on my own.
So here we are. Our little family of four. It is still hard and no one will ever catch me “sugar-coating” the situation. The kids miss their Dad and are still coming to terms with the big picture that Mom and Dad are really divorced. But in the long run, I think we will be okay.
So how did it happen? How did I go from a girl with an untroubled past to a wife and mother and then to a 37 year old divorced mother of three starting over? It’s called life. It surprise’s me, hurt’s me, heals me and wears me out, but in the process it is also making me stronger. I may not have the perfect life, but it is perfectly mine to live.
I grew up in a two parent home, experiencing a great childhood, one most people would have loved to live. Some people may have even used the word perfect. When I dreamed of my future, I never expected it to turn out like this. Just out of high school, I traveled the country. While passing through Texas, I met a boy and fell in love. Wedding plans were made and it was done. Again, perfect. So how did I get here? To this unexpected chapter of my life. The chapter where I am 37, divorced, single mother of three and starting over.
Eleven years, that is how long my marriage lasted. I filed for divorce eleven days after our anniversary. The reasons why are not important, my husband and I had grown apart. He had his life and I had mine. Those eleven years were definitely not a total waste; I have three beautiful children to prove that and years of memories
and experiences. The divorce was not a nice one, as most are not and I knew that the kids and I needed a new start. A place to begin again and rebuild our lives.
Ponca City, Oklahoma. Sounded like a good place to make our start. We loaded up and headed south, hoping to find warm weather and friendly faces. We found both. It was here, in this quaint little town that I got my first job in the healthcare industry which led to the desire and courage to go back to school and pursue a career in nursing. It was here that my children excelled in their schoolwork and received numerous awards and outstanding grades. It was also here that I gained the strength to realize that I can do this on my own.
So here we are. Our little family of four. It is still hard and no one will ever catch me “sugar-coating” the situation. The kids miss their Dad and are still coming to terms with the big picture that Mom and Dad are really divorced. But in the long run, I think we will be okay.
So how did it happen? How did I go from a girl with an untroubled past to a wife and mother and then to a 37 year old divorced mother of three starting over? It’s called life. It surprise’s me, hurt’s me, heals me and wears me out, but in the process it is also making me stronger. I may not have the perfect life, but it is perfectly mine to live.