THE DIFFERENT DRUMMER
Celebrating Second Chances
Nicole and I met as I crawled out of one of the darkest times in my life. Today we celebrate 16 years of a second chance at wedded bliss.
– Pantera
Days before my 39th birthday we walked into the Back to School night as a family with the truth buried in a shallow grave. This was the first time we were trying to do something together since my wife had moved out of the house a few weeks before that night. The wounds created by our rapidly deteriorating relationship were still raw and open, but we had agreed to try and put the anger and pain aside to provide a sense of normalcy for my daughter.
As good as being together felt, the normalcy of the night began to hurt. Like the eye of a hurricane, the event was a refreshing breather from the chaos that had been enveloping our lives for months. It was a reminder that times had once been good. But the storm was not over.
My mind began to wander from the past to the future. While the memories felt good, this was not our future. This realization washed over me with waves of sadness that became harder and harder to tolerate. I eventually retreated from the event and then to my bed…
