I watch way too many romantic comedies. But I love them. The boy always gets the girl, the dialogue is deeply heartfelt and letter perfect, and everyone lives in great apartments they obviously can’t afford.
I wish I could stop watching them but I can’t. I think I might have a problem. There is no 12 step program for this, I’ve checked. But if there were, I’d qualify by saying “Hi. My name is Rachel and I’m a romantic comedy addict. I am powerless over the belief that Prince Charming is on his way and probably just got held up in traffic”.
Predictably, I cry at the end of every one of these movies because love has won the day like it’s friggin’ supposed to and that really chokes me up. But as happy and gratified as I am for the fictional characters I have grown to understand and love, in under two hours, the tears I shed are more a product of self pity than altruistic joy. Why, oh why, I ask the universe, isn’t that me falling in love with an irascible yet genuinely adorable man with perpetual five-o’clock shadow and a strong-yet-tender heart? When oh when will my prince come to call?
If you harbor the hope of saving your marriage, you're not alone. Marie Starrantino tried to keep hope alive, going to counseling and planning fun activities with her husband but in the end, separation was inevitable. In the process of her divorce, Marie navigated a jumble of emotions, and successfuly navigated her way through an amicable divorce.
I recently ran into an old boyfriend from my very early 20's at the grocery store and discovered that he and his wife had just made the decision to divorce. We chatted for a bit, caught up on our lives, and went our separate ways. The next day, I received a FB message from him asking if we could get together for coffee to: "b*#&h about divorce" and get my take on the whole divorce process (!)... I said "yes, of course" and gave him my phone number.
Now, while we don't socialize on regular basis but, we've run into each other off and on over the past years...he's a sweetheart and knew both my Ex and I before we married. Nice guy, but any romantic feelings ended 24 years ago and they're not coming back... I agreed to meet with him one on one, because it's always nice to have the support of someone who's been there/done that.
The view from my kitchen window is a study in shadows. The silhouettes of bare trees, scraping their lacy branches against a midnight-blue sky, eclipse the white farmhouse next door. “Would you close those curtains?” he snaps from behind, in an impatient way. I ignore him, absorbed by the silence of the afternoon’s final curtsey and the slippery warmth of the dishwater that bathes my hands.
“Close those curtains?” he loudly demands. Does he think I’m hearing impaired?
I inform him that I enjoy looking out of the window at dusk. He obviously chooses to believe I’ve totally lost it and mutters “It’s pitch black out there…” under his breath. This fuels his escape from the kitchen and the loony woman he’s quit trying to understand. I feel relief as his footsteps get smaller and farther away.
So it’s time to give love a second chance. Or is it? How do you when know you’re ready to date? And how long do you wait before telling Mr. Might-Be-Right that you’re — gulp — a divorceé? Such are the issues the D-Word Gals navigate this week.
This week’s “D-Word” is a special double feature! First, the ladies delve into the nature of divorce itself. Is it just a break-up with paperwork, or does the very word “divorce” imply something much more significant? And, next, what does one do with the wedding ring once a divorce is finalized? The answers just might surprise you…
So I made out with another woman's husband recently. That's right. This here divorce and dating expert got conned by a handsome, sweet- talking cheater. Back up and let me explain:
It was 6 p.m. on a Tuesday night, right in the middle of the Calgary Stampede. The city -- and the bars -- were packed to the hilt; locals and tourists all playing cowboy/cowgirl.
Shortly after my girlfriends and I arrived at the bar, "Mr. Smooth" descended upon us, inviting us upstairs to a private company party. Off we went... and over the next half hour it became quickly transparent that Mr. Smooth was very interested in me.
He told me he was divorced. Not just divorced but happily divorced. He talked about his single life, his wonderful children, his fulfilling career...
