Seeing my part was the beginning of building relationships that could actually last. Photo by Lenin Estrada  on Unsplash My biggest struggle after my divorce was loneliness.   Not the kind most people imagine. It wasn’t just missing company, wishing I had someone to hug, or noticing that it had been a while since I’d seen friends. It was something harder to describe.   It felt like something was constantly missing. A quiet, persistent emptiness that followed me around.   I tried to solve...

And How Facing It Changed Everything For The Better For a long time after my marriage ended, I felt like I was going nowhere. I was functioning, co-parenting, dating and working. Doing all the things you’re supposed to do. But inside, I felt stuck. The grief didn’t seem to move. The anger and regret kept circling back, even many years later. At the time, I didn’t realise I was protecting myself. After a marriage ends, most of us fall more into one of two places. Either we’re painfully aware...

Rebuilding doesn’t have a finish line When I first separated twelve years ago, I thought I knew what rebuilding looked like. I imagined that once I got through the heartbreak, I’d meet someone new. I’d remarry. I’d have that “second chance” kind of story. More aligned, more stable, more me. It didn’t happen that way. I dated immediately, and two years later, I met someone that I wanted to start a serious relationship with. I thought that was progress at the time, but really, I hadn’t stopped...