For 13 consecutive years now on a back-to-school morning I have awakened with excitement. In the early years I picked the perfect bow for my daughters’ hair and took my time while they let me brush and style their pretty hair. In the latter years I have helped chose the outfit or made sure group…
A three-hour window. A three-hour window was all it took to feature the failings of co-parenting. It was a minor parenting plan problem. Our case study features an eight-year old girl and her parents two years post-divorce. 4th of July arrived with the provision providing for holiday parenting time to begin at noon. The…
“This is unacceptable. Can I talk to your supervisor?” The woman was irritated and barking demands. I waited patiently in line to check my daughter in to Children’s Hospital for a shoulder injury. I was called up to the next available receptionist and beside the irate woman. “I do not understand how this happened,” she…
It is hard for me to write about him. In so many ways now he is just someone I used to know. Strange that what seems like another lifetime ago, he was the person I used to know best. This week would have been our 18th wedding anniversary, but instead time let 8 years slip…
I felt embarrassed when the movers asked where the box with the wedding dress should be placed. And then even more embarrassed when my landlord went to replace the carpet in the basement before I had fully moved out and had to move a small pile of belongings from the basement to the main floor…
Angela Dunne’s reflections on the “last days” experienced during divorce. Today is the last day of school for yet another year that flew by in the blink of an eye. The last day of school signifies the end of a season. My girls and I look forward to this day each year. To mark the…
A letter to the moms I have worked with over the last 20 years Dear Moms, I have been watching you for years. I have been listening to your struggles. I have been hearing your hope. You have been teaching me strength, grit, persistence, passion, and loyalty. You have been showing me the path of…
We were at the dinner table and my 12 and 14 year-old daughters were snickering about something their dad did. I joined in on what I thought was light-hearted fun: I said something negative about their dad. The conversation and chuckling came to a screeching halt. “What just happened?” I wondered as a chill crept…
Back in 2012, Angela celebrated her first birthday post-divorce. As her birthday was this week, we re-visit how she felt on that day. I love my birthday. Love it. And I don’t care that it sounds self-centered. I believe wholeheartedly in self celebration. I appreciate reflecting on the year I have just journeyed through, seeing…
Looks can be deceiving. While things may seem easier for others, take a closer look, and maybe you will find some compassion. “You have it so much easier because you only have your kids half the time.” He made this statement a couple of times during our conversation. The first time it fell out of…