Divorced? Separated? Congratulations!
Why We Need More Honest, Joyful Divorce Narratives
I came across a post on Instagram recently, which I immediately shared to my story. The line that got me read “Divorce itself sucks, being divorced can be incredible.” And it is. I have officially been divorced since December 2021, and on my worst days in 2022 I feel more content than I felt during the highest highs of the years I was married.
Off the bat, I should note that among the divorced I do have some privileges that make my road easier — the biggest one is that since we did not have children, I am not forced to maintain a relationship of any kind with my ex, nor am I faced with the difficulties inherent in a split custody schedule. Even so, in the last two years I have spent a lot of time talking to other people in the midst of separations and divorces — in support groups, on social media, on dating apps, and in my own personal circles — and even for those with co-parenting arrangements, almost everyone I have spoken to saw their divorce as a relief and something that brought them renewed hope for their future.
And yet, I think for those on the outside, the word divorce has a negative stigma and is viewed primarily as a tragedy. On the one hand, I do understand why. No one gets gussied up on their wedding day eagerly imagining the day…
