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LIFE
Co-parenting After Twenty-Five Years
Here’s what happened when we stopped blaming each other for everything
When I met my first husband, I was sixteen years old and dating another boy named Jimmy whose love was hot and cold. I’d go from being the most important girl in Jimmy’s life to being ignored and mocked and back again. My lack of self-esteem, far too common in young girls, contributed to me staying with that jerk for more than a year, far more than he deserved.
My ex-husband was one of Jimmy’s best friends, so he was treated to stories about me that were less than flattering and even other ones discussing our sex life. He once tried to offer me up as a girlfriend for one dollar, which my ex thought was slimy and gross.
During one of my “cold times” with this guy, my ex decided to swoop in and offer me his love. We got married four years later when we were twenty years old. We were that sure about each other.
From the start, I thought we had a pretty good marriage. We laughed together and played together and traveled 3000 miles together. That part was what I thought was the good stuff, but it was nothing compared to when each of our two sons was born. That level of happiness was something I always wanted but never dared to dream about. I got to see a whole…
