For many, marriage is foundational and so when a marriage falls apart it can feel like your foundation is crumbling and that your entire life is about to come crashing down. The emotional turmoil, financial repercussions, social changes, impact on your children and a host of other concerns can be overwhelming. We live in a world that never stops – jobs, bills, summer camp for the kids, taxes and more just keep going at full speed even as you struggle to face this massive change affecting your life. Below, we’ve shares stories and lessons from some of the bravest folks we know.
Angelle Morris
Well, this is the first time I’ve ever been asked this question. In all honesty, “time” is how I overcame divorce. I had to relearn who I was and I literally had to take life one moment at a time. Divorce was extremely hard for me but it helped me with becoming more resilient, it helped me with having a better understanding of who I really was, and divorce taught me how to self-reflect. Read more>>
Dina Smith
Divorce has shaped the entirety of who I am today. In the year leading to my divorce, I went from being the breadwinner in my marriage to getting laid off, working part-time at The Container Store and the after-care program at my 4-year-old’s school to keep her in private school. This year was the worst financial of my life but the best spiritual year of my life. While juggling household responsibilities, my work schedule, and motherhood, I was also discovering spirituality. Along the way, I would have random “encounters of encouragement” from strangers. Read more>>
TyLie Shider
My divorce was my first public “failure.” And the first thing I had to do was stop calling it a “failure,” because that adjective is too violent to describe matters of the heart. A divorce is a conclusion. A divorce is a lesson. It is also a kind of grief, because life, as you know it, ends. My wife was my second heartbeat, but we grew apart. And so the first thing I had to do was give myself time and space to honor the grieving process after divorce. While grief is cyclical, and it never really ends, the immediate sting of grief is foreign and it requires radical-adjustment. Which means I had to thoroughly adapt to my new life. Read more>>
Marinés Adrianza
Wow, what a question. Divorce was undoubtedly the most challenging period of my life and, even thogh it’s a process that still affects me and my children, as an artist, I found a way to channel those emotions into my work. Having a support system was crucial during that time; it made me acutely aware of my own strength and independence. It was like rediscovering myself in the midst of chaos. Read more>>
Kassandra Jackson
I’m here to help! It sounds like you’re asking for advice on how to overcome divorce. Overcoming divorce can be a challenging process, and everyone’s experience is unique. It’s important to give yourself time to grieve and heal. Seeking support from friends, family, or a therapist can be beneficial. Engaging in self-care activities, focusing on personal growth, and staying positive about the future can also aid in the healing process. Remember that it’s okay to take things one day at a time and that healing takes time. Read more>>
Meredith Bishop
The answer to this question is with a lot of psychological honesty, developed over a achingly long period of time. As someone who believes in the sanctity of marriage, awakening to the realization that the marriage was dead, it could not be revived, and that it was doing more harm than good to the people it was meant to serve came slowly and painfully. At the same time, I believe the death of a marriage should feel burdensome, and grievous, to the people in it because it’s quite a thing to lose. Read more>>
