At just twenty-six-years-old, my world crumbled around me. The facade of a life I had been pretending to enjoy crumbled around me. The death of my beloved grandfather was shortly followed by my long overdue filing for divorce.
At the time, my son was just three years old. I was a stay-at-home-mom with no car, tens of thousands of dollars in student loan debt, and about $5,000.00 to my name. Immediately after I filed for divorce, my son’s father disappeared and ceased all support: financial, emotional, and spiritual. My situation was disastrous.
Admittedly, I spent too many nights drowning my sorrows in cheap boxed wine, neglecting myself daily as I barely ate, slept, socialized with friends, or even exercised.
Eventually, the dark cloud that was my shattered heart began to give way to the sunlight I so desperately needed. I began taking care of myself again, reconnecting with old friends, enrolled in graduate school, and even rejoined the work force after nearly four years at home with my son.
The moment I filed for divorce I made peace with the idea that I would dedicate my whole self to my son. I had no intentions of ever again pursuing a romantic relationship of any kind, or even dating. Then everything changed.
One June night I received a Facebook message from a dear childhood friend. He invited me to dinner and I accepted, believing the dinner to be nothing more than a meal between old friends where we would have the chance to catch up.
Before I knew it, my oldest and dearest friend had swept me off my feet! Completely caught off guard and terrified by my intense feelings, I decided to allow myself to let go and enjoy our new relationship.
That dear friend is now my husband. Still my very best friend, my husband never ceases to amaze me. He’s the most thoughtful, hard-working, and loving man I’ve ever known and I thank God every night that our son is learning how to be a man from the best man I know.
The most disastrous event(s) of my life have lead me to the most delightful, and I’ll forever be grateful.