divorced

Sometimes a good divorce is better than a bad marriage.

The Dissolution
We sat down with the death certificates, our phones, the stack of mail, and their last notebooks. Late afternoon in the living room- if our parents had been there we would’ve had a round of various gin drinks, Dad briefly raising his eyes from his screen volunteering to shake. What he meant was that we’d fuck up his drink, otherwise. Gratefully however one whiskey neat and a beer were at hand; we were cheaply rewarded for shepherding to the door the few straggling visitors and abandoning the plattered remains of puckering hand sandwiches and curling celery sticks.
By Golly Doyle5 years ago in Families
To My Wife's Future Husband
Dear Sir, I am writing you today so that I might help you in your future life with a woman whom I have loved deeper than anything I have ever experienced before in my life. My trials, my mistakes, her mistakes, our choices, good and bad, have given me a unique perspective that might help you be everything to her that she deserves.
By Bryan Johnson5 years ago in Families
The Chimney
It was a cold drizzle — stark gray skies undulating with silver, white and pewter clouds. The wet seeped through the skin, through the bones, and reminded one of how dismal a day could be, how life could be, at times. Dark and cold and soul permeating.
By Catherine Brooks5 years ago in Families
Suicide Gone Wrong
Realizing the local police were not going to do anything about the child pornography I had turned in, I next turned to the Department of Internal Affairs at the sheriff's office. I explained to them what I had found and that my ex was claiming I set him up, but that I didn't set him up, and I was genuinely concerned for my children's safety.
By Adrienne Huggins5 years ago in Families
A Mother-Daughter Bond
Plink, plink, plink. The silence in the room is cut by the constantly drip of water from the ceiling. If I listen close enough, I can match the rhythm of my breathing to the sound. The water, like everything in this house, is a result of neglect.
By Madison Bishop5 years ago in Families
The Calling Card
The Calling Card What is it that compels a mistress to leave behind clues when in the marital home of her lover? Is it the same compulsion that drives girls in their teens to leave their mark on bathroom stalls? Or those that desecrate monuments and other cherished landmarks with graffiti? Is leaving clues for an unsuspecting spouse the Holy Grail of, “I was here?”
By Karen Skirten5 years ago in Families
You Can't Tame A Lion
When I was married to my now ex husband, he used to jokingly say he wanted to “tame me,” to “take the wildness out of me.” I’d laugh along with him, but as we all know, in every joke there’s at least a grain of truth, and I knew what he meant. He loved many things about me, my passion, my generosity, my intelligence, but he could do without the boldness, my opinionated nature and the attention that seemed to follow me everywhere.
By Misty Rae5 years ago in Families
Ending a Marriage
Right now I look around this house at a large painting left drying on the coffee table, a smaller hand-drawn coloring beside it. My 4 year old’s scribbles and paint strokes. She woke up this morning hoping to paint something. I found her hiding in her closet painting the trash she could find (a toilet paper roll, a ripped piece of cardboard, and some sort of plastic container from one of her previous art sets). As a firm believer in creative outlets, I grabbed a large piece of an old Amazon box and let her have at it. In the end she was covered in paint and there were even a few drops splashed across her clothes. I could walk through the kitchen right now and admire the drops of royal purple on the linoleum I forgot to wipe up afterward.
By Lo Jaimes5 years ago in Families
Positive Parenting After Divorce
After adults divorce or separate, they often engage in 'get even' tactics against each other with children becoming objects of manipulation and revenge. Little thought is given to the effect of their behavior on a child's emotions or what their son(s) or daughter(s) are being deprived of. The sense of betrayal and anger spills over with the desire to strike back becoming paramount. Parent's reactions become driven by raw emotion rather than rational thought and children are caught in the crossfire. Acts of revenge have become increasingly volatile in the last decade and it has become commonplace to see or read about a murder or murder/suicide of the custodial parent or the children they had together.
By Jerrie DeRose5 years ago in Families
Bad Girl House
Years ago, I found something strange in a book that belonged to my mom. It sent me searching for answers that I still don’t feel I’ve conclusively found. When I was in the eighth grade I needed to find a book to read for my Language Arts class, so I could ultimately write the dreaded book report. My mom had been both a math and English major when she attended college to become a teacher. That meant that there was no shortage of books at our house. There were boxes and boxes of books in our basement to go through. There was just about anything you could want. I eventually found one that sounded good to me.
By Kathy Sees5 years ago in Families
The Escape Fantasy
All of us have an escape fantasy. You know the one where you get in the car and drive away. You leave everything behind and start new, somewhere where no one knows your name. Mine involves driving down the highway until I find a quaint little town. I will become a waitress at a small diner and everyone in town will wonder who I am or where I came from. I will keep to myself though, renting a studio apartment and reading books in my solitude. All of my troubles would just disappear with my old identity.
By Shawna McCord Bennett5 years ago in Families
Top Ten Reasons Marriages Fail
When couples declare their love and make life-long vows on their wedding day, the last thing anyone thinks about is divorce. Most husbands and wives dream about living together forever, facing life’s problems head-on as a team. You might want children and imagine what your life would be like with the pitter-patter of little feet running around the family home.
By Natalie Maximets5 years ago in Families