Two years ago from yesterday I felt my life crumble underneath me. It was the night my ex-husband left. Unlike some, my initial reaction was relief. I had felt trapped in a miserable marriage for so long, but never was willing to be the one to walk away from it. I felt like I was going to have a second chance at happiness. Within a few moments though, reality set in. It was a fear of the unknown. Everything in my life was about to change. Over the next few months I would move back in with my parents, lose my husband and any source of income. I would change both my university and my major, and I would become a single mother. Nothing would be the same again. I was terrified of the changes coming my way. I wasn’t sure I would be able to face them on my own.
Time went on, the changes happened quickly. I started to adjust to my new life as a single mother. It was far from easy. My responsibilities multiplied, but so did my confidence. It felt good doing things on my own, stepping closer and closer to the goals I had had before my marriage had fallen apart. I was taking control of my life, and doing things that were important to me. I was doing everything I could to give my son the life I’d always wanted for him. Now as I am so close to reaching those goals, I look back at the long journey I’ve had to get here. So much has happened since that dark night two years ago.
I was terrified of those changes, but now I can hardly imagine a life without them. Seeing my goals so close reminds me of how liberating that night was for me. It changed my life drastically, but those changes taught me who I was and what I could become. I wouldn’t trade that for anything else in the world.