Sometimes you think you have everything figured out, only to realize you’re on a completely different path than you imagined. A year ago today, I made a decision that would change my life forever.
It was 5 a.m. on a summer Saturday, and I was walking my dog, Buddy, as the first birds started to chirp. My head had been spinning all night, trapped in a whirlwind of fear, sadness, and guilt. I just knew I couldn’t keep going down the same road. The air was fresh and clear, and for the first time in what felt like forever, my mind was quiet.
As Buddy trotted happily beside me, I finally felt it: a tiny spark of something new. Something hopeful. The idea that my marriage was over, a thought I had always pushed away, began to feel less like a failure and more like a real possibility. I felt a freedom I hadn’t felt in months. A sense of space. A quiet calm. In that moment, as the sun began to rise, my thoughts became clear. Maybe, just maybe, a beautiful future was still waiting for me.
The decision felt final. It was made.
Except… it wasn’t.
That morning was just the first time I dared to admit the truth to myself. The path from that moment to the day the decision was truly final was long, filled with doubt, and heavily influenced by the opinions of others. Especially my parents and in-laws. It would be many more months before I could finally say with certainty: this is over.
But man, what a year it was!