Lucky as the Tin Man

 

We’ve all seen the classic tale of the Wizard of Oz. The cowardly lion is desperate for courage, the scarecrow is in need of a brain, and our dear friend the tin man wants nothing more than heart to fill his empty chest. After my divorce I would have given anything to be the tin man. My heart was aching. I was feeling such an intense pain I would have done anything to make it stop. Nothing brought relief. I wasn’t ready to be divorced. I wasn’t ready to be on my own again, but I had no choice but to suffer through it and find some way to alleviate the pain.

It took time. In fact, there are still days that the old familiar pain creeps back into my heart. Each time Logan drives away I feel that pang of sadness, but I have learned to cope and even enjoy this strange time in my life. When all my other friends are getting married and having babies, I have the opportunity to just spend time with my little boy, just the two of us. It has strengthened our relationship and given us opportunities that we wouldn’t have had otherwise. I get to cuddle in bed with him and read stories and have tickle fights and every other Saturday I even get to sleep in. I have a little boy who loves me and looks up to me. I am blessed with the unique opportunity to raise him exactly how I want to raise him.

So while, for a time I wished to be the tin man; I wouldn’t trade the overwhelming joy in my heart for anything. I love that little boy more than words can describe. The love I feel for him surpasses any kind of pain I felt throughout my divorce. He makes having a heart more worth it every single day.