Bringing Up Bebe was my favorite parenting book as well. And I probably have followed none of the advice over the years. Well, maybe some but I’m certainly no French mother (I wish). I did divorce though - when my second daughter was just 2.5 - because the weight of caring for three people became so overwhelming and suffocating. I dated after too but have again come to the conclusion that I don’t have the energy to caretake a man, not physically, not emotionally, not in any kind of way. And yeah, I don’t want to share my space with anyone besides my daughters. Never again.
The title of this story caught my eye, as I'm working on a piece called, "The Unexpected Joys of Solo Parenting." I'm currently separated and unsure what the future holds, but the idea of cohabitating with another man, my husband or otherwise, is becoming less and less palatable by the day!
So much of this hits home! If we allow it, divorce can be liberating and empowering and it's important that we recognize those accomplishments both in ourselves and in others, so congratulations on the new car!
Reminder of how many younger women are out there facing these issues. Seems an unending stream! I am older (married 38 years) but know so many women who have written of this situation. And older women, too!!
BTW—I love the cartoon and would love to share it. Should I just reach out to the artist?
I really enjoyed this post, Cindy, so much I can relate to in how I ceded control over so much to my ex, including budgeting and financial decisions when I earned all the money for us! And yes, he was in charge of car purchases (and never consulted me--once he simply drove home with a new car. Look what I bought, honey!) That is definitely something to be proud of, your new car negotiation, all the while handling the needs of your daughters and friends. And I especially appreciated the final paragraph on this whole dating vs living alone thing. I am getting VERY comfortable living alone 16 months since the divorce and sometimes I wonder if I am getting too comfortable and then I think, why the hell not? Now a new man has to compete for the excellent company that is myself (although the addition of your two sweet cats seems perfect).
Bringing Up Bebe was my favorite parenting book as well. And I probably have followed none of the advice over the years. Well, maybe some but I’m certainly no French mother (I wish). I did divorce though - when my second daughter was just 2.5 - because the weight of caring for three people became so overwhelming and suffocating. I dated after too but have again come to the conclusion that I don’t have the energy to caretake a man, not physically, not emotionally, not in any kind of way. And yeah, I don’t want to share my space with anyone besides my daughters. Never again.
The title of this story caught my eye, as I'm working on a piece called, "The Unexpected Joys of Solo Parenting." I'm currently separated and unsure what the future holds, but the idea of cohabitating with another man, my husband or otherwise, is becoming less and less palatable by the day!
I am so here for this!
I can’t believe how much we are all feeling this. 😂
I know very few women who jump into relationships after divorce and the longer they stay single, the longer they want to. 😂
So much of this hits home! If we allow it, divorce can be liberating and empowering and it's important that we recognize those accomplishments both in ourselves and in others, so congratulations on the new car!
Reminder of how many younger women are out there facing these issues. Seems an unending stream! I am older (married 38 years) but know so many women who have written of this situation. And older women, too!!
BTW—I love the cartoon and would love to share it. Should I just reach out to the artist?
I know she is great. I follow her on Instagram. If you click on the image in the post, it should take you right to her. She also has a book!
Thank you!
Also I just realized she has a Substack!
https://lianafinck.substack.com/?utm_source=global-search
I really enjoyed this post, Cindy, so much I can relate to in how I ceded control over so much to my ex, including budgeting and financial decisions when I earned all the money for us! And yes, he was in charge of car purchases (and never consulted me--once he simply drove home with a new car. Look what I bought, honey!) That is definitely something to be proud of, your new car negotiation, all the while handling the needs of your daughters and friends. And I especially appreciated the final paragraph on this whole dating vs living alone thing. I am getting VERY comfortable living alone 16 months since the divorce and sometimes I wonder if I am getting too comfortable and then I think, why the hell not? Now a new man has to compete for the excellent company that is myself (although the addition of your two sweet cats seems perfect).
Yessssssssss 👏👏👏👏👏