Dear Reese Witherspoon: Girlfriends Who Can Relate Are Here at First Wives World
Dear Reese Witherspoon: Girlfriends Who Can Relate Are Here at First Wives World
Regardless of who is to blame in a divorce, we know divorce is a broken dream, and now thanks to Reese Witherspoon opening up in Elle Magazine, we are reminded that success, good looks, and money don’t kill the pain.
We girlfriends here at FWW know better than anyone the emotions that Reese describes feeling: “Very humiliating and very isolating… And I still have moments where I’m like, Nothing’s ever gonna make sense again.”
Suffering in silence is an Olympic sport for divorced women, who are often too embarrassed, humiliated, or proud to ask for help, no matter who caused the divorce.
Looking at Reese from a distance, we assume she’s just fine after her divorce. After all, she’s a gorgeous celebrity with plenty of money who’ll move on to another hot celebrity relationship in the time it takes us to flip the remote.
Which brings me to the word "assume." So many divorced women "appear" just fine to the outside world. Yet many like Reese (and like me) have felt the isolation she speaks of. You no longer fit in your own life and cannot imagine things being normal again, no matter how many people tell you this will pass.
Divorced gals — yes, the celebrity ones too — often experience a lonely effort trying to get the strength to get out and start pretending things are normal again. Friends and family of divorced gals should not assume a divorced girlfriend is OK, no mater how successful she is, how beautiful she is, or how much money you think she has.
Friends and family need to reach out and extend invitations, offer to babysit, lend an ear, and lend inspiration that everything will soon be fabulous again.
It matters. It makes a difference.
First Wives World exists for this purpose, girlfriends helping girlfriends with warmth, wisdom, and inspiration to help girls like Reese move forward so their lives can make sense again.
Make sure someone tells her we are here, we get it.
Debbie Nigro
Chief Executive Girlfriend
First Wives World
Photo: Carolyn Kaster / AP
Comments
Post new comment