“Divorce isn’t such a tragedy. A tragedy’s staying in an unhappy marriage, teaching your children the wrong things about love.” – Jennifer Weiner

Joanne called me in tears; her pain was palpable. She’s been in an unhappy marriage for 12 years. There was love there at one time, but that was so long ago, she couldn’t remember what that feeling of love felt like. There was no intimacy; there was no affection and she was slowly, but surely, losing her joy. Their relationship now felt more like roommates on the good days and adversaries on the worst days.

She knew long ago that the relationship would not last forever, but she had convinced herself that she could stay until the kids graduated high school so they weren’t impacted by a separation and divorce.