Final

The End.  No more.  The other shoe dropped.  Over and Done.

Just before this past weekend, my divorce was signed by all interested parties and a judge okayed it, so I’m officially no longer married.

So what does it mean?  Anything at all?  Am I supposed to be happy?  Sad?  I know I’m relieved, if only because it means that a question mark that had been looming over my head like some side-quest character has finally turned into an exclamation point.  Now I get to cash in my XP and level up.

So what do I do now with this new status?  Never been divorced before.  I’ve only been “married” or “not married”.  And should I even define myself by that kind of status?  In some ways, I think so.  It’s certainly fair to apply that label to myself.  And if I didn’t, wouldn’t I just be pretending that it wasn’t a chapter of my life?

I think, for now, I’ll wear it like a scar.  It’s an important part of my life that hurt and damaged me.  But I learned a lot about myself, who I was vs. who I am now, and what kind of person I want to be with.  I know what to look for in a partner as well as what to avoid.

I’ve learned who my friends are.  They really stepped up, and I couldn’t have done it without them.  A few in particular were extraordinary (they know who they are).  Thank you for stepping up and being a good friend.

So.  New chapter starting now.  New characters.  New setting.  Same author.