Tag: divorce

Words

Sunkissedsoul

There are the things that I dare not speak of in direct manner; for bringing the words to actual life makes my stomach knot; my throat lump, my body weighted and my heart anxious and afraid.

Then there comes a time; the words have to come to life because they are already living a life inside of me, dwelling in the darkness of my belly and trying hard to rise to the top, come out and scream loudly until the whole earth hears my pain.

These unspoken words have a secret power within me; they are my own weapon of self destruction. These silenced, swallowed words are a culmination of all of the things I am supposed to ‘be over by now’. The hurts that I have worked incredibly hard to overcome. The wounds that have left scars; yet the scars are healed. These words don’t deserve to come out….oh….but they do. They are. Little by little the time comes and though it is difficult, it s not impossible as I remind myself that I CAN DO HARD. I have been doing hard, just not in the direction of hard I want to continue going. I am weary of holding monitor over all the ick; tired of my own pride.

What I do know is that the father of my children is about to move in with his girlfriend. What I do know is that the father of my children is a dear man and a precious friend and that he deserves to be healthy and happy and whole. What I do know is that his partner has nothing to do with anything that led to the end of my marriage and that she is a good person. What I also know is that this news has jolted me as if I just found out he was leaving our family. What I also know is that the grief this week has been an overwhelming blast. What I also know is that I am exhausting myself avoiding my feelings. What I do know is that I feel lonely and a little afraid. What I do know is that there is an avalanche of words here, I’m choking on them, and some are still stuck deep into my soul….I’m taking one bite of the elephant at a time.

I don’t believe I have ever had any intention of reuniting with my ex husband, not for a very, very long time have I thought that. I am dealing with that everlasting tape of ‘why did he not choose his own family?’ It’s a lifelong tape that began way before he ever was in my life. ‘Why was I not chosen?’; ‘Why am I not worth it?”; ‘Why am I picking up the pieces of someone else’s mess?” ‘Where is my worth, am I even worthy?’ Then it is this whole mess of standing in the middle of a tornado spinning in all these BIG emotions and trying to ground myself and not get caught up and fly off in the whirlwind. I could kick myself for being here. At the same time, I trust am supposed to be here. I don’t have to like it though.

I know that I am trying to find my place in this world. Professionally, personally, spiritually; all the ways. I feel like a familiar and friendly soul who is wandering and searching for belonging. My son is doing awesome in his career and I see him growing leaps and bounds. My daughter will soon be going to college and this momma heart is so proud of these babies…but now where is my biggest purpose? I know that I am now licensed and have so many professional options. I despise that every time I consider going out ‘on my own’, I remind myself that I am not partnered with anyone and I have to think extra hard and make sure I have things handled financially. I know that I have many dear friends and at the same time, feel out of place nearly everywhere I go outside of family and work. I know that despite my greatest intentions, I have secrets I am keeping and I am feeling like a kept secret. I know I am a little bit lonely and longing and also that maybe I’ll never meet someone special. I know I am trying to be at peace with that. I know I am in the messy middle and trying to find the value. Trying to seek faith over fear. Trying to allow myself to feel.

That’s me…then there are the beloved people I am hurting for. That’s only the tip of the iceberg. I know so much more.

I know I have cherished family members who are aging; dealing with illness; struggling in their own ways, dealing with continued stressors and hurts; just swimming and swimming and swimming and trying not to sink. I really wish for a magic wand.

I know I have beloved friends with full plates, challenges, fears, insecurities, a thousand anxieties and hurts and inquisitions. Making their ways through their own grief and unexpected loss and changes in life.

I know that one of my dearest and nearest friends is struggling hugely. I know that life has not treated him fairly and kindly, he is angry and in his own words, ‘full of hate and lost.’ I hear him more than he knows. The lost feeling; it resonates. As for the hate, whether we turn it inward or outward or even upward, it sucks, bad. I know that this precious warrior is stronger and more beloved than I fear he will ever know and that it literally aches my heart to not be able to convey that to him in word or action. He reminds me so very much of the father of my children. The most exquisite heart that is unable to receive the joy and love it gives out. So I pray, and I pray and I pray to the God he isn’t sure is there. That resonates too. It wasn’t so long ago that I also was wondering. I hope with every bit of hope in me that there is some beautiful AHA moment that brings him goodness and relief. While he is hurting badly, I am brought back to what life was sometimes like in my marriage; and what it was like to not be able to help the person you love most because they didn’t think they were worthy of help and maybe didn’t want to get better in those moments. You know…the devil you know is better than the one you don’t.

I know that my hip hurts and I am fifty. I know that my recent health follow ups were good and I am thankful. I know that I am not taking care of myself consistently and that I am working on it; and the knowing that I struggle is another way I guilt and shame myself. I know that life could be just beginning. Maybe. I know there is a flip side, but let me focus on the beginning right now.

So out the words begin to come. They are not venomous; not clouded with retaliation; they are just words that come with feelings and memories and what if’s…oh but it feels so good to let them come out.

Simply. Beautiful. Chaos.

Sunkissedsoul

In less than ½ a year from now, I will be 50 years old.  

I am proud of who I am. 

 My heart is tender and compassionate.  I am smart.  I am witty.  I am hard working, kind, loving and I have a lot to give.  Also, I am stubborn to a fault.  I can take a lackadaisical and scattered approach to life.  I sometimes am far more considerate of others than of myself; and at the same time can be selfish and run by motivating factors that I wish didn’t motivate me.  

I am reflective, I am unique.  I struggle with small talk unless it is obligatory.  I have been told that “I am too much”; and it wasn’t in the ‘good’ too much kind of way.  

Tears come as easy as laughter. Food, whiskey, wine and coffee; being consumed by work and men temporarily fill a hole in my heart that longs for something deeper. 

 I relish digging in the dirt, breathing in nature, talking with God, reading the Bible and also reading Anais Nin, bubble baths, writing, being with those I love, and being alone with my neverending thoughts.  Those things feed my soul.

I love hard.  It is difficult for me to let go of things that once were or things that might’ve been.  I prefer seeing the possibilities over the reality at times.  

I am human.  Messy. A student of this life.

 I am beauty in the chaos; with an emphasis on the chaos.

I am simply Sarah.

I know who I am.  I know my value.  So why, why, why do I so quickly forget that when it comes to men?  Why do I push things under the rug that I know are harmful to my heart; contort myself to make another person comfortable and chase the love someone does not have to give me?  And, why for the love of all things good, do I equate healthy men with boring.  Not cool Sarah.  Not cool.

These are the thoughts I ponder tonight.  

I was going to write this entire synopsis on my dating journey and sexual awakening; it turns out that’s not really the gist of what is on my heart.  Kind of.

What the gist of it all is isn’t about what the men have or haven’t done in my life; it’s about searching for a deeper understanding of why I have allowed myself; perhaps even put myself in less than stellar situations.  Why have I decided to continually settle, be in relationships where someone mistakes me for a momma or their personal therapist, or place more value on whether I meet their standards than raising my own?

I desire a reciprocal, romantic, respectful relationship where passion is very much alive.  Is it the fear of growing old alone that pushes me into the zone of what isn’t best for me?  Is it the comfort of having someone that drives me there?  I don’t know.  

I do know that exploring the places I am accountable is a good thing.  I do know that although I  don’t ‘need’ a man; I totally desire a companion and that’s okay.  I just need to figure out why I am still so willing to compromise on my ‘non negotiables’ and then I resent the hell out of them bc of my choices.  That makes no sense. 

Wish me luck.  It looks like I have some hard work to do and some healthy boundaries to establish; starting with me.

What’s done is done, what’s gone is gone….right?

Sunkissedsoul

“What’s done is done, what’s gone is gone. One of life’s lessons is always moving on.”

I saw this posted here or somewhere and it pinged my heart deeply. As a result of my divorce; countless beautiful things have happened. I healed things in myself that I didn’t know needed healed. Subsequently, healing things between my children and I is ongoing. I went back to and finished grad school. I moved from the only home I have known for my lifetime.

All of this is beautiful yet I have realized recently the heaviness of things I am holding tightly onto. My ex spouse did not choose me. He did not choose our family over his desires. Four years later; we have a wonderful friendship and co-parent well; still; I have felt so betrayed and abandoned. I am sad and feel that we (not just he) forever changed the trajectory of our children’s lives.

I believe I am right where I am supposed to be. I am not as sure when it comes to my kids. I do know we are still a family and love our children and each other dearly; our family just looks different. It is difficult for me to consolidate the pain and sadness with the healing. It seems strange that the feeling angry and the grief are hitting me now more than before. It’s hard for me to know that even though I choose forgiveness multiple times a day (on most days); I still haven’t forgotten the hurt.

Perhaps it’s because I truly want to move forward. I want to love and be loved by a partner. I find myself consistently choosing relationships with really good men yet they just aren’t quite all the way available in some aspect. Then I wonder if I am doing that on purpose to avoid more hurt and so I can say it’s them, not me. Maybe it’s me who won’t make myself all the way available.

It’s all so much to unwind sometimes.

I know it’s done and gone; it’s still hard not to bring into my now. I know I have to trust the process. Sometimes I just wish the process would hurry the hell up.

Real Life

Sunkissedsoul

My heart hurts this morning. I’m scared and I feel lonely. I could keep quiet and not share this, yet I feel nudged to do otherwise.

I know truth versus my feelings.

I’m not alone. I have a God who is already in my tomorrow and faith does reign over my fear.

I long for something relationally different, yet I am never alone. My God has never and will never forsake me.

Keeping my vulnerability under wraps is me believing the lies. It is me not honoring who I am to save another’s discomfort. It is me not being me.

I do live in gratitude and seek a path of surrender and trust.

Still, I am afraid of unknowns. Sometimes my most honest prayer is a “Lord, please help me with my unbelief.” I know you are there but I’m often not sure that our definitions of “okay” match. I need help trusting that your “okay” is far better.

I lived through a corrective heart surgery at 9 months of age that was a glorious medical miracle. My childhood was shaped by my Grandmas mental illness. There was a stroke that I “shouldn’t have survived”. A divorce that left me reeling. Daddy’s battle with Alzheimer’s. So much more.

I am here.

For whatever reason, I am here.

I am deeply compassionate toward those suffering with mental illness as a result of those childhood years.

The love of and for my family (immediate and extended) is abundant, genuine and solid.

My friends are a balm to my heart. They surround me with accountability, support, love, laughter and insight. They are my framily.

That stroke taught me lessons that nothing else could; it gave me a whole new lens to see with.

That divorce. It sucked. From those married years I have the best two children; glorious beyond anything I ever prayed for. Perfectly imperfect yet perfect for me. An ex-spouse who is my best friend and a growing up me.

Alzheimer’s. I learned to truly find joy in the journey. Daddy and I. Healing, laughter, tears and so much love. Precious memories made all while the memory thief was hard at work. Irony at its best.

Grief taught me…everyone’s path is experienced differently. For me, guttural crying and rolling around on the floor until your bones ache was part of the path. No need to be sorry. It’s my path to travel.

….although your heart physically aches and hope might seem beyond reach, the sun will rise again, one day. In the meantime, let it rain as long as you need rain.

…your experience is normal for You. If and when a plethora of people are feeling concerned, take heed, don’t be afraid to seek help. Medication, counseling, church….find your support and dive into it free from shame.

Always lessons learned. Gratitude sought. Love expressed. Faith over fear reached for.

Here I remain, human as human can be.

In this moment God, I am lonely. My heart hurts. I am afraid. Help me be a light and glorify your heart in the middle of my fear and solitude. Help me love you deeper. Help me strengthen my faith. And please hold me tight. I know there are gifts in this part of the journey too.

May we all seek and savor them.

Be blessed loves.

Best Day Ever

Sunkissedsoul

I took a stroll down Memory Lane today. I was feeling incredibly teary as I begin to reminisce over all the changes. I felt especially sad that my children were not home to play in the snow with.

I put my boots on, layered my clothes and headed outside, intending to build a snowman.

As I sat back and admired my work, a sense of accomplishment overcame me. Gosh darn it. Countless positive changes have occurred in my life as a result of s*#t storms. I’ve grown immensely. Bonus…I’m having fun doing it.

Yesterday completed 100 days of exercise. I’m so proud…even if it took 169 days to get there! I graduated with an MA in counseling psychology with a 3.8 grade point. I have an amazing family and the best friends. I am learning that I am more capable, strong and powerful than ever I had believed. And I’m just getting started.

I laid in the cold snow and made snow angels until my booty was frozen. I built my snowman. I walked a mile through the slushy streets. I giggled at Maple’s frolicking. Simply enjoying this soulful aliveness.

Today is a wonderous, beautiful chance to live. Every moment is a chance for a new beginning.

Life. A gift.

Each breath. A gift.

Thank God.

#snowangels

#Snowdog

#clearhead

#peacefulheart

#feelthefeelsevenwhenitshard



Cha-Ching

Sunkissedsoul

Those credit cards that are offered with no interest for a year…then if you don’t pay, the interest has accrued the entire time and CHA-CHING….everything is due.  #life

All the emotions, desires, regrets, grief and stuff that I have managed to keep nicely boxed seems to be screaming….”BALANCE PAST DUE!”

In honor of this reconciliation; Spotify gifts me with ” my most loved songs of 2019″. Songs of life, love and love lost permeate the air.

I dream up all the things that life is not but ‘should be’ and try to fit those things nicely with the reality life is offering. My thoughts are intertwined with a hurting heart and I’m desperately fighting to simply ‘sit with “It”; “It” being the unpleasantness.

The wind is strong, the night is dark.  I imagine the leaves dancing and fluttering their way to new locations; far from the safety of the now barren trees they once were attached to.

If the leaves could talk, I feel we would have much in common.  I, too, am fluttering about; unsure of where I will land next.

I see that someone else is living in the life that was once mine.  I want to latch onto the notion that this is not how things ‘should’ be.  I want to take back what is ‘mine’.  That thought makes me laugh.  It also makes me cry.  I own nothing and nothing is mine.

I am.  That is sufficient.

The home I have known my entire 47 years is for sale.  My heart is broken yet I know these  broken pieces still make a whole and my home is truly where my heart is.

My oldest kiddo is driving.  My youngest kiddo just got rid of her braces. I got a “new to me” car.

I have completed a Master’s program and am simultaneously thrilled and terrified.  I followed through with a really hard task, and I struggle to not allow the worry of the unknowns steal the joy of now.

Three years later, it has dawned on me that it’s perfectly good and okay to move on from the marriage I once had.  I just have to figure out how.  I want my own version of a fairy tale.  Before that, I have to surrender my all to the God I (kind of) trust.

Stretching.  Trusting.  (Trying hard).

A fluttering, sputtering leaf who desperately wants to safely land.

Please God, just let me land.

 

 

 

 

Ex

Sunkissedsoul

So…here’s the thing. My ex-husband is not just my ex-husband. He is first and foremost, the father of my children and a dear friend.

I realize that we seem unique to many in our relationship after marriage; and it took us a long while to find our way to this place. I know that our relationship is a gift and I do not take it for granted one single moment.

I will always honor Nathan for the reasons I listed above and I will always respect him and cherish his friendship. It’s a two way street and I am grateful.

Our hope is that one day, if and when we each find a new love in our life, and the time is right; we will make room for them as our families expand.

After all, we had two amazing children together and we know that parenting them is a God given privilege. We do our best to treasure that privilege.

Again, I know that our dynamic is different and it may be difficult for some to grasp the nature of our relationship without making it into something it is not.

My thoughts…we really are just two people doing what works for our family, as it has changed shape…it is still our family.

You do you boo, right?

Love to you all.

Monogamous

Sunkissedsoul
In the past month, I have had two dear friends who have been married over 18 years each and then…their husbands decided they had fallen out of love and wanted a divorce. That’s it. No counseling or trying in anyway…just done.
 
Taking into consideration the recent rants I’ve had over being honest in dating relationships, I’m realizing the whole honesty and effort thing is a much broader issue.
 
Are we made to be monogamous? I know my own thoughts…I want yours. And…as my friend pointed out…life expectancy is so much longer so does that fit in or has infidelity and walking away from relationships like this always existed?
 
Is monogamy an expectancy in marriage? For me, yes. However, even when it isn’t…there are expectancies of honesty and of doing everything humanly possible to save a marriage and family…just walking out feels like a horrible option unless addiction or abuse are at play. That’s just me…..
 
I won’t be offended at anyone’s input, I’m genuinely curious.

Just listen

Sunkissedsoul

Without judgement and from my heart….

I recently dated someone who ended up in a relationship with a married woman. …because you know, her husband is a total ‘ass’ so she is seeking her solace outside of her marriage. Not in counseling, or in a divorce, or in honesty but in an affair. The man I dated, I don’t know wtf he is thinking and it’s not my concern but it is so heavy on my heart. There are countless unmarried people…so help me understand the why. (Don’t really help me, I know the general why’s and none of them are good)

Then, recently,someone who was very dear to me flirted endlessly and felt justified doing so because they are in a horrible, sexless, loveless marriage. This is sad, I totally get it. Again, get to a counselor, talk to God, talk to your friends, divorce…just stop the cheating because I promise, nothing good will come of it and I certainly am not going to play that game.

BTW, hitting on me and offering sex to me is not generally the way to my heart and if you are in a relationship, I feel like you are a predator and I am the prey. This is especially not the way to my heart. It makes me feel dirty and I hate feeling that way.

This stuff just makes me sick to my stomach and if I could encourage one person to make a better choice, I will. If you are already in the middle of infidelity, it happens. It’s also a great opportunity to seek help and get honest…especially with yourself.

Also, I’m not speaking to those who choose open relationships, I’m speaking to those where it’s a super secret.

Lots of love, I promise. Just not a pretty topic.

The Bakery Experience

Sunkissedsoul

Did you know that a doughnut experience or bar is a really trendy thing to do at weddings right now?  I love it!  I especially love it since it goes right along with my current train of thought.

I’ve been thinking so much about doughnuts (and not just because I have had no more than two bites of a doughnut since last April!).  My ex husband and I had a delightful conversation about donuts a couple of weeks ago and this analogy has been spinning around in my brain since then.

So…let’s take a little trip to the corner bakery shop.  (Remember that childhood song; “Well, I walked around the corner and I walked around the block, and I walked right in to a bakery shop…and I picked up a doughnut and I wiped off the grease…and I handed the lady a 5 cent piece.  Well…she looked at the nickel and she looked at me, and she said, “kind sir, can’t you plainly see?”  There’s a hole in the nickel, there’s a whole right through.  Said I, there’s a hole in the doughnut too!)  This is apparently the world’s best song, so says my brain as it hears it for the billionth time!

There is every kind of doughnut imaginable.  Iced, sprinkled, coconut flakes, powdered sugar, cookie bit toppings, even one with bacon bits.  I’m a pretty simple lady.  I just want something comforting, traditional and of course, absolutely delicious.

Countless doughnuts are before me, their tempting aromas floating through the air.  I choose what I imagine will be the most wonderful doughnut of all.  It was just set out on the cooling rack.  Warm and sticky to the touch, but not hot.  I pick it up, inhaling it’s sweet scent as I bring it closer to my lips.  My tummy rumbles and my mouth waters, I have not tasted a confection treat like this for a full year.

This particular doughnut (because it’s my chosen doughnut), is  softly round, gently iced with freshly made chocolate icing, perfectly heated and so melty that it will dissolve in my mouth.  Oh!  It is wonderful to look at, arouses my senses when I think about how exquisite it is going to be to eat every last bite of it.

I lick my lips and bring the object of desire close, I open my mouth and take the first bite.  Savoring every nibble;  I am pleased that this doughnut is every bit as magnificent as I’d hoped.  I’ve eaten about 1/2 of it when I begin to feel it’s sticky sugars coat my teeth and the roof of my mouth. I need a napkin because even though I have licked the icing off my fingers, they are still sticky.   I am quite thirsty.

Unfortunately, the water at the doughnut shop has been shut off and they are out of milk and juice.  I ask for coffee.  There is no coffee.  So, I sit down at the lone booth, all of a sudden aware that there is no one in the bakery shop other than the man serving donuts.  My thirst grows and my mouth feels pasty.  Where is the doughnut guy anyway?  It seems I am my only company.

I look at the doughnut remains in my hand, looking drastically less appetizing than before.  I am a little bit bored and unfocused…so I finish it off; not enjoying the last 1/2 nearly as much as the first.  Still, no one is here.  I am a little lonely.  Actually, my stomach kind of aches.  I don’t know if it was the sugar or something else.  I kind of wish I would’ve stopped after just a taste.  I feel bitterness rise in my throat.  I haven’t experienced acid reflux since I stopped eating sugar and now look…one little doughnut.  Why did I choose this when I knew what it would do to me?

I am alone in the bakery.  I see that the counters are a 60’s kind of bright yellow and the room all of a sudden feels too bright.  My stomach is bloated at the top and I need something to quench my thirst.  Where are the people?  My feelings of loneliness increase and I’m overcome with the feeling that I can’t leave fast enough.

I place a dollar bill on the table, in case the guy comes back and I walk out.  I feel the breeze on my skin, a little colder than when I came in.  The sun is out but it’s not warm enough.  I am reminded of the  way life used to be when I consistently chose the doughnut.  I am uncomfortable in my own skin and wish I could have a re-do.

Friends!!!

This is me talking about my dating life right now.  Let me break this down.

Physicality in a relationship…that’s the doughnut.  It’s sooooo yummy!  It’s soooooo fantastically good to a woman who loves feeling desired, giving, being close, being told she’s beautiful, ALL of the good stuff.  It’s enjoyable, phenomenal, pleasurable and fun!

The point is, the doughnut is super sweet in the beginning.  It is scintillating, intoxicating, forbidden yumminess!  Let’s be honest…kisses are fabulous, snuggles are warm, our insides are gooey goodness.  It’s all incredibly hard to resist. In spite of all this, it might be best to not indulge in the doughnut; or at least give some thought and intention before that first bite. Once you have a nibble, the cravings set in.

But, if that is all there is…the doughnut…I’m left with nothing but reminders of what I don’t have that I once (kind of) had.  I tell myself, no more doughnuts.  No more donuts!  NO MORE DOUGHNUTS!

I eat the doughnut anyway.  I get angry with myself because it was just a doughnut.  My hunger is not satisfied, I am thirsty still and I am alone.

Doughnuts aren’t bad.  Doughnuts are very, very good. They should just be ingested with a generous dose of awareness and wisdom.  There’s good stuff in that doughnut song.  There is a reason there is a hole in the doughnut.  The doughnut alone isn’t enough.  At least in my life, for me, for now.

Picture that same warm out of the oven, sticky, perfectly iced, soft doughnut.  Instead of an empty coffee shop, I am in line with many others.  I don’t really see them though, because my attention is focused on the one special person who I walked hand in hand here with.

We order a doughnut to share, because neither of us eat much sugar.  (Okay…that’s too much of a fantasy, we each get our own doughnut!) He quietly pays for our purchase and for the family behind us.  I admire and respect his heart and consider that he is worth everything I have been through to get to him.  I know he looks at me the same.

Also, we have coffee with real cream.  We sit down with our doughnuts.  The conversation is easy and the laughter is abundant.  This guy.  He is yummy, he is kind, he thinks I am the most beautiful woman in the world.  We both think the doughnut is so much better when it comes with coffee and connection.  We discuss a little bit of the silliness of the doughnuts we enjoyed when we didn’t believed doughnuts were all there were.  There is deep gratitude for the now.

We agree, this is how it’s been for us…

Only the doughnut….  It’s sugary and temporarily satisfying.  But then what?  (Again, if one is in a place of only wanting the doughnut, enjoy the doughnut!)

Then, there is the whole bakery experience. Enjoying the doughnut with someone who savors it with you; someone who takes you to the bakery shop and sits with you; sips coffee; kisses and conversation are never ending.  Maybe even read the paper (or a little Anais Nin and Henry Miller to each other).

Doughnuts vs. The Bakery Shop…my preferences are a changing.