Showing posts with label hope. Show all posts
Showing posts with label hope. Show all posts

Running Against Time

Wednesday, September 9, 2015



I wish there was a set time period of getting over someone or moving through a divorce. There are many, many days when I can't honestly see the other side of this tunnel I'm trapped in. I know others have made it out - have built new lives, met new loves, have smiled again. I want to fast-forward through all of the pain and get to that point. This crap I'm in is a total rollercoaster. And, no matter how much I try to tell myself I'm tired of being sorry for myself, for being the victim, for loving someone incapable of loving me - my heart tugs me right back into that sad, dark, corner of my mind. I know then that I'm no way near through anything ... I have a long journey still ahead.

Many times during the day I feel like I could just burst into tears. My energy is completely zapped. I want to lay in bed, cry and feel sorry for myself. Hey - it's just what I want to do.

Days flitter across my face and for a moment I can barely forget what has happened. I still feel a surge of love for her hit my heart. But just as soon as I feel that, something else will dash across my mind ... it could be a visual of what I walked in on ... it could be a flash of the text message I found, "You know I love you," it could be her cold eyes glaring at me in our most heated arguments - the love of my life telling me to leave her the f*ck alone and only speak to her about the divorce or the children. That she's tired of re-hashing what's happened 80 times a day. The audacity. And my fragile heart shatters all over again.

Her favorite sayings as of late are, "You have everything all figured out, don't you?" or "You've just pieced it all together, haven't you?" The truth is I still feel like I know nothing and am forced to make sense of a terrible situation because I've been given no explanation. I'm told I've been given an explanation that I choose not to accept. That I have had a part in the demise of our marriage too. That I haven't handled the end of our marriage with class or respect. You read that correct - I was lied to and cheated on but I was expected to suck it up and exit with "class and respect." That makes me want to vomit.

"You do realize this all happened over two months ago, right?" That was the newest one. Like I was supposed to be over 8 years of my life with someone in two months. That was enough time to bottle it up and move on - peacefully. Even though I was the one blindsided by this and she had a year [apparently] to figure out her feelings - all while in the comfort of a marriage. I have to battle through my feelings with zero sense of security from the person I loved.

Am I still in love? Am I merely obsessed and frantic? Am I desperate to be loved and mixing that up with feelings of real love? Does your love end when theirs does? When you have experienced deep pain? What happens to that love? I think it transform to anger. And if we can't forgive [I'm not there yet, either] we live with that anger in our hearts - it'll hold us back from ever trusting another person again.

Forgiveness doesn't excuse their behavior... Forgiveness prevents their behavior from destroying your heart...:

One of her relatives reached out to me on Facebook. She sent a message of hope for me - that she's sad that we're all going through this. That she's prayed for us. That when her husband left her and her two daughters, that her girls became her life - and that she learned to believe that God had a bigger, better plan for her. It was a long time coming but she made it through and has since re-married and lives a very happy life. Her daughters are now grown. She feels that there's a better plan out there for me too - regardless if I believe in God or not. She believes that He has something else in store for me. That warms my heart, to know that her faith brings a message of hope to her for me. That she has been through this dark part of her own life and has made it to other side. That her daughters have found strength in her. And, that she has found love again.

It's hard to forgive people who especially try to hurt your family. As a Christian I will continue to ask God for his help in this. I don't want to let any situation hinder my blessings Lord.:

A Library of Self-Help

Thursday, July 30, 2015

I've found myself semi-desperate for answers to what is happening right now. I think on some level ... some really super smart, college-educated level ... I'm completely aware of my situation. But I still feel a strong need to understand what my ex-spouse (we'll call her L, so we can call her Ex-L) is thinking and feeling because I'm basically super confused. So even though there are really concrete things coming out of her mouth - I still need answers. And, I'm not hearing what I want to hear. (Hello, Denial!)

Anyways, I've found that I've been basically eating up self-help books. Literally, putting them away in about 2 days time. So, if you're like me and looking for something to at least take your mind off the shit-show your life is going through right now, check out some of these books:

You Are a Badass - Jen Sincero
     Sincero is a self-help, motivational speaker that aims at getting you to see what a freaking spectacular piece of the human race that you are. A lot of what she refers to is the Law of Attraction ... basically, if you think about good, good will come to you. But it's also about realizing your potential and quit wallowing your your own cesspool and getting out there to take charge of your life. This is a book that I plan to re-read very soon. 

Is Everyone Hanging Out Without Me? - Mindy Kaling
      I'm a huge Mindy Kaling fan. I was literally 1 of 200 people that watched the Mindy Project - which is now a Hulu original series! It's not really divorce-advice material but it's an easy read, with a quick laugh told in that Mindy-style of speak. If you're looking for a good "girl book" or beach read (ala Eat, Pray, Love) style ... grab this book today!

Eat, Pray, Love - Elizabeth Gilbert
     Speaking of Eat, Pray, Love ... this is seriously one of the best books. The movie is even better. And Elizabeth Gilbert is so quotable, she'll quickly become your divorce guru. No joke. EPL is a snapshot into Gilbert's past and how she dealt with her own divorce, aftermath and re-emergence. It's totally about a woman taking life by the balls and showing it who's boss. She discovers not only new lands and experiences, but runs into many awesome people. Eventually, she finds love again ... and we all can use a glimmer of hope that we can too. 

Crazy Time - Abigail Trafford
      Ok, so this book is based in the 90s but the material is *so* relatable. It has been my God-send in terms of me looking for answers to my own marriage's demise. It helps you understand the mindset of the Divorce Seeker and the Divorce Opposer and then how people navigate through these situations. It's relatable content and I've time and time again found myself going "Aha!" and folding over page corners. 

The Total Money Makeover - Dave Ramsey
     Let's be real ... I didn't do the finances in my relationship, even though I was the primary breadwinner for quite a while. I'm not good with money. But now, I'm going to have to be ... especially if I eventually want to buy a home in a kickass school district so that my kids can have a super awesome education. It's time I grow up and become financially smart. It's not just me anymore so there's no excuse. With Dave's book, you learn how to efficiently and quickly manage your debt ... and also plan for your future. Plus he has a bunch of neat online resources to help get your act together. 

So, that's what's holding my life together for the moment. Or at least my sanity. What reads have helped you during this process?
 
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