Tomorrow

Tomorrow will be the start of a very new chapter.  My Dad is moving here to live with me and help me with this transition.  We have lived 2000 miles away from one another for 5 years.  To say that I am excited is a little bit of an understatement.

My Dad is the type of Dad who would and does do anything for his daughters.  He worked a job that payed less but made him more available to us for much of my adolescence.  I don't ever remember him not being there if he said he would be.  He is steady and calm and honest and loving.  He is also fun and funny and adventurous.  When I told him that my ex and I were splitting, the very first thing that he said to me without any hesitation was "Do you want a live in cook and babysitter? I have nothing much going on here and could leave and come back to help you.".  I don't think that I will forget that for as long as I live.  Here I am, 30 years old, and my Dad is still willing to drop everything to make life a little easier for me.  That is the true definition of Father to me.

I can't wait for my daughter to get to know him better. Up until now, he has existed on a computer screen or in a week's long vacation.  Now, she will get to see him daily.  My ex has already talked to her about the things that he hopes my Dad will teach her (like how to play guitar, and basketball, and make gumbo).  I also know that he will be able to go along with whatever kind of relationship my ex and I decide to have.  Much of my strength and calm in this situation I learned from watching him.  He and my Mom split when I was 10, but remained friends and supportive.  At one point, my Dad not only worked for my step-father, but decided to buy a house with him so that they could all live together and help one another and keep our family together.  That is such a strong testament to the Man that he is and the reason that I want so badly for my ex and I to remain a family.  Even in the earlier days of my split from my ex, my Dad assured me that he would follow my lead however I needed him to.  However my ex and I chose to handle our relationship going forward, he would be fine with.

Beyond the fact that I get to see my Dad everyday, he has already made it clear that he will make himself available for me.  At night, when I start dating again or even just trying to meet new people, he is perfectly fine to stay home with my daughter and let me have some time to myself.  Since my ex and I have not figured out any kind of visitation schedule, this will be huge.  I haven't had much time to myself since I moved out and I am truly looking forward to it.  Beyond going out, I can stay in and hang with him! I won't have to face the occasional loneliness anymore.  He will be there to talk to.  My therapist has warned me not to let him take the place that my husband once filled emotionally, so I will be making sure I am mindful of that.

Wish us luck. No doubt it will be a big transition for all.  He hasn't had a three year old in his house since 2008.  It may take a little time to work out the kinks, but I am so grateful and so excited to have him here.

Letting Go

Today I am choosing to let go. To stop trying to hold on to feelings and things that are not meant to be held on to. I want to be able to move on with my life and be truly happy. In order to accomplish that, I have to let go.

Today, I somewhat gave my blessing for my ex to continue to see "the other woman". Because he is in love with her. Even though this hurts me, I know I need to just let it go. What is the point of trying to hold something that is no longer yours to hold? Don't I want to find love with someone better suited for me? Of course. So, I can choose to deal with the emotions and feelings that come with him being with her and continue to be strong for myself and our daughter.

Then, once I have truly let go of it all, I know I will find happiness. And while I hope I find someone to share my happiness with, I know that I can be just fine on my own.

Lonely

This week my ex told me that he hopes that I don't feel lonely.  And it got me thinking, is lonely really the worse thing to be?

I have been lonely before.  I am probably lonely sometimes now.  But, to me, I don't think that lonely is the worst thing I could be.  I would rather be lonely than be unappreciated.  I would rather wish I had someone to spend time with than have someone who doesn't want to spend time with me.  I would rather fill my time doing things I want to do than fill my time doing something to try to please someone else.  I would rather be alone and deal with someone else's drama.

Something great about loneliness and being alone is that it makes me really think about what I want and need in myself and someone else.  I do not want to feel lonely while I am with someone ever again.  It was the worst feeling in the world to be with the one that you love so deeply and still feel lonely.  I will never put myself in that situation again.  I don't want the person that I am with to ever feel that way again either.  I know that I did that to my ex.  Being lonely and alone is a thousand times better than being lonely and with someone.

There is also a big difference between missing a particular person in your life and being lonely.  I think that for me, it is that I miss my husband.  I miss the person that I spent 11 years of my life with.  I am lonely sometimes, but lonely for him.  For the life that I had.  Finding someone to make me temporarily not feel lonely will not fill this void for me.  It is something that I need to work on myself.  Something I need to work through to truly move on from and get over.  Then, when I am ready, I will find someone that will fill my loneliness truly.  But until then, being lonely is not the worst thing that I could be.

Strength

I realized something recently.  I am very strong.  I felt weak for SO LONG but I wasn't.  I was strong.

Loving someone who doesn't love you the same way is strength.  Treating people the way you want to be treated is strength.  Realizing your part in the direction your life is going is strength.  Choosing to move on and change is strength.  Holding your life together when you feel like falling apart is strength.

That's what people have been saying to me.  "I am in awe of your strength" or "You are stronger than me so you can handle this" or "You are handling yourself with such strength".  I am choosing to believe these people.  I know that I will make it through this time, the most difficult time in my life, on the other side.  I will be happy.  I will be OK.  And I will be myself throughout the whole thing.