Sometimes you are cruel
"Look,” the teen-ager said to the friends gathered at the lunch table. “All the kids whose parents are still together are on this side of the table, and all those whose parents aren’t together are on that side of the table.”
I cringed as Jenny retold the story that evening. Once again, my children were having to carry the burden of my decision to end my marriage with their father.
Absolutely terrible things have been said to and about me since the divorce.
“You’re ruining your children’s lives.”
“You should have just stayed together.”
“No one should ever divorce.”
What do people think; that I just got up one day and decided I didn’t want to be married anymore? Do they actually believe I planned it this way? Do they think anyone would plan this?
Quit being stupid, folks.
No one, absolutely no one, gets married with the desire to one day get divorced.
The fear of divorce keeps many people married who shouldn’t stay married. They stay not from fear of loss of income or from fear of being alone; they stay out of fear of what people will say.
Some of you should just hush up. . .
. . . not for my benefit. I don’t think anyone could possibly say anything more to me that hasn’t already been said.
You should hush up because “there for the grace of God go I.”
You should hush up because you’re being rude and thoughtless and unkind.
You should hush up because women who go through the gut-wrenching decision to end their marriage don’t need your snide comments and cruel gossip.
They just need to be loved and respected as much as a “one” as they were as a “two.”
To do what they’ve done takes courage.
It takes self awareness.
Sometimes two good people just aren’t good together no matter how much they try.
What did Jenny say in response to her friend’s cruel comment?
“I think I have it pretty good. I have two homes
where people love me, two birthday parties,
two sets of clothes. I’m still me.”
Some of you could learn a lesson
from that teen-ager.
