New Beginnings

Yesterday my divorce was finalized.  At 2:45 pm, I entered the courthouse... went through the metal detectors, took the elevator to the 2nd floor, walked to the commissioner's courtroom and took a seat.  After finishing the previous case that went overtime, I was called to the front to be sworn in and read my prepared statement for the court record.  Identifying information, legal mumbo-jumbo, and in the middle of it all... one important statement.

"My marriage is irretrievably broken."

By 3:20, I was out the door... declared divorced and my new name announced.  My new name.  My old name.  My maiden name, reclaimed.  The name change was a difficult topic for me.  I could have kept my ex-husband's last name.  My ex had no problem with it.  My kids preferred it.  But I realized I had no attachment to the name, had never liked it, and part of moving on was leaving it behind.  The struggle came with realizing that 16 years ago... the last time I had my maiden name... I was a completely different person than I am now.  I don't even know that girl anymore.  Struggles mature us. Pain breaks and rebuilds us.  Nearly everything in my life seems to have changed and I'm trying to figure out what I want and need from this life... while still handling the responsibilities that remain.

Welcome to the journey...