Still from the excellent Pony Music Video Strength (Horses of the Unseen)

How to Wait

One spring, I held my breath for ten days.

By February 21, 2014, the Joint Petition for Summary Dissolution of a Marriage had been filed. “If your petition is approved,” the instructions read, “you should receive a Notice of Entry of a Decree of Dissolution from the court 30 days after you file it, which means your marriage is ended.”

What do you do with 30 days like that?

• Listen to Cloud Cult’s “The Strength — Forces of the Unseen” on repeat (preferable the PMV version).
• Write about it.
• Wear a summer dress even though it’s winter.

That worked until the thirty-three days were up (I added three days to allow for the U.S. Postal Service). Then I needed something else. So I turned to Facebook.

Every day when I got home from work, I took a picture of what was in my mailbox and added a new comment.

Yes, Kristen. Yes it is.

And then one day…

…the wait was over.

If you’d like to read more about my journey, click here: Life.