Today would have been our fifteenth wedding anniversary.
The odd thing about grief is that it does not simply go away. It has a tendency to remind us of what was lost on anniversaries as if the spiritual fabric of our souls has scarred but never forgotten the wound.
My anger over the injustices is really long gone at this point. What is left is sadness over the tragic loss of it all.
I am grateful for what I gained through the ending of that chapter in my life. Make no mistake: I am eternally grateful for Mrs. DM and Munchkin. I would never trade them for my old life.
Yet it is those good memories that set off the sadness.
This is part of the trauma of losing a spouse through divorce. We are left with memories of times we enjoyed with our (now) ex-spouse.
These are the memories that “hurt.” The good memories speak to a life that could have been if the cheater had decided against sin.
I am grateful for the good times, and I honor that as a true loss. Yet I am also grateful for how I have grown and changed since then. I am grateful for the family and spouse I have now.
