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I Was Unprepared to Leave My Husband

7 Things I wish someone had told me about relationship grief

Colleen Sheehy Orme
6 min readOct 14, 2020
Photo by murat esibatir from Pexels

I practically skipped home from my lawyer’s office. I finally did it. I had the nerve to cut the marital umbilical cord. It had taken me years to swing open the doors of legal and emotional freedom.

I felt a much-needed surrender. A relief.

The next morning I was singing in the shower. I love singing in the shower. I had forgotten I used to do it. The unhappiness had lasted that long.

I was liberated.

I was living again. Breathing again.

And then all hell broke loose.

Divorce isn’t easy.

Even if you are the one who chooses it.

I remember something someone told me when my mom passed away. They said, “It’s going to get much worse before it gets better.” At twenty-eight I couldn’t imagine what kind of person would say such a thing. It seemed depressing if not mean.

But months later when my face was smacked against a soaked pillow it actually made me feel better. I knew it was normal. Someone had warned me.

It got worse.

And that meant one day it might also get better.

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Colleen Sheehy Orme
Colleen Sheehy Orme

Written by Colleen Sheehy Orme

National Relationship Columnist, Journalist & Former Business Columnist. I cover love, life, & relationships— #WomanResurrected colleen.sheehy.orme@gmail.com

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