I like to say things like this. “My ex-wife did us all a favor by asking for the divorce.” And then I will often talk about how happy I am now, transformed by the divorce. And my kids seem to be happy and well-adjusted. And my ex… Well, I’ll stay out of her business and assessing her state of mind. But there’s a good bit of the story that is left out when I take this repose about my divorce. It was a good thing given the toxic circumstances of my crumbling marriage. So in that respect, yes, she did us all a favor. But let’s dig a bit deeper to see where things went foul.
The first fracture
- Divorce, Depression, and My Ex-wife: Humans of Divorce
- My Ex-Wife May Think I’m the Enemy, But She’s Misguided
- The Long Retelling of My Divorce
- Divorce, Depression, and the Puzzlement of My Ex-wife
- My Side of the Mountain – Understanding Depression
- Where Did Your Heart Go After We Got Married?
The first infidelity
- Stop Thinking: The Lost Art of Deep Listening
- Foundation Troubles in a Marriage
- The Crushing Impact of Emotional Infidelity on My Marriage (the off parent)
The second fracture
- Burning Down the House of Love and Hope
- The Long Retelling of My Divorce
- The Big Lies My Wife Told and Our Divorced Parenting Struggles
The final cut
- The Good Dad’s Divorce: Being Asked to Leave Everything Behind
- My Divorce: A Searching and Fearless Moral Inventory
- Are You Receiving Me? When Not Listening Turns Towards Divorce
- At the End of Sex and My Marriage
Yes, we’re all better now, but…
- Would You Damage Your Co-Parent’s Livelihood If You Could?
- Defining the Deadbeat Mom
- Divorce, Depression, and My Ex-wife: Humans of Divorce
- Deadbeat… < What’s the First Word That Came to Mind?
- Humans of Divorce: Why Child Support Should Be Cooperative
- Dear Ex, I Will Forgive You, But I Will Never Forget What You Did
Moving On
- What Do You Tell Your Kids About Divorce As They Grow Older?
- How a Balanced Divorce Would Have Better Served My Children
- Dear Ex, I Will Forgive You, But I Will Never Forget What You Did
- Putting Your Divorce in Context, For Yourself and the Kids
- Divorce, Kids, and Money
- Humans of Divorce: Why Child Support Should Be Cooperative
- We Do The Best We Can and Still We Fail: A Marriage Requiem
Hope for What’s Next
- Finding Our Way Forward As Dads Before, During, and After Divorce
- Positive Divorce: From Blame To Forgiveness
- Divorce Lessons: 8 Critical Choices In Making a Positive Split
- After Divorce w/ Kids: You Won’t Believe How Good It Can Get
- Discovering and Recovering Love w/ a New Partner
- We Do The Best We Can and Still We Fail: A Marriage Requiem
Always Love,
John McElhenney – life coach austin texas
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As a certified life coach, I’ve been helping men and women find fulfilling lives after divorce. If you’d like to chat for 30-minutes about your dating/relationship challenges, I always give the first session away for free. LEARN ABOUT COACHING WITH JOHN. There are no obligations to continue. But I get excited every time I talk to someone new. I can offer new perspectives and experiences from my post-divorce journey. Most of all, I can offer hope.
See more from The Positive Divorce section:
- The War on Divorcing Fathers: Deadbeat Dad Accusations Are Abusive
- My Single Parent Slogan: Every Day At a Time
- How Did I Miss So Much In My Marriage? Divorced, I Now Understand
- Defining the Deadbeat Mom
- The Fear of Divorce: Holding On When You Should Let Go
- Divorce, Depression, and My Ex-wife: Humans of Divorce
- Nine Years Into My Divorce: Finding My Single Parenting Superpower
- Father’s Day: Love Fiercely, Because This All Ends
Further Reading:
- Single Dad Seeks: Dating Again After Divorce: Advice and Strategies on Learning How to be Loved Again
- Fall of the House of Dad: My journey through divorce, from loss to joy, again and again
- A Good Dad’s Guide to Divorce: One father’s quest to stay connected with his children
- The Sex Index: Getting Our Love Languages Right in the Bedroom
- Here Comes the Darkness: Surviving and Thriving After a Mental Illness Diagnosis
- The Third Glass: When Drinking Becomes an Issue