As for anecdotes, many of the stories in the book are really mine, with the names changed of course. Others are from sisters, friends and the couples I've counseled over the last 3-4 years. Unfortunately, after I wrote the book, my husband went through midlife crisis and didn't survive. After we had successfully learned to be free from his past marriage and were no longer constantly distracted by the problems with his ex, he had more time and began to face the huge emotional problems of childhood abuse which he had stuffed for years. Unable to cope with the pain and scars the abuse left on him he left the marriage to go find himself.
Divorce hurts kids.
We all know that. But life in general hurts us all, in many ways. Not to advocate divorce or to minimize the damage it does to our kids, but NO pain in life is so great that it can not be overcome and even embraced as a growth and maturing experience. Instead of insulating our kids from pain, I believe we should prepare them and equip them with the tools for solving problems, facing fears and completing their own grieving processes. My stepson hates that his biological parents are divorced.