Most people do not believe their spouse is capable of hiding money. Yet, divorce makes it abundantly clear they are not only capable of it but of other unexpected behavior. It’s not possible to control another person’s actions but it is possible to control your own. The problem? When a marriage begins to deteriorate one…
Most do not choose to divorce. It is the unfortunate result of exhausting all options. Many make this decision not only for themselves but because they want to return their children to a safe and loving environment. Yet, whether a divorce is swift and seemingly painless or extreme and exhausting, children do pay a price.… 
The dust is settling from our recent move. Things are good. However, it is difficult to protect children from financial abuse. I would compare it to alcoholism. Try as you may the kids will see that parent abuse alcohol. It’s pervasive. They witness it. The other parent doesn’t have to talk about it for it… 
My youngest son and I were enjoying a meal out when he said, “You seem less stressed.” “Really?” I say back. I can see the bewilderment in his face. After all, I have the same problems. The divorce may be finalized but the remnants will linger for some time. I still have zero retirement, bad… 
In the infancy of my divorce, I wrote about crying in my car while listening to my honeymoon song. Surely, I should have changed the station but I didn’t. Instead, I sat there in all my emotional glory reliving the joyful beginning and the excruciating end of my relationship. It seemed both necessary and unavoidable at the… 
I posted a pic on Facebook with the caption, “My New World” – Smiley Face emoji. I know what my friends must be thinking. “Oh, for Pete’s sake Colleen! You moved one lousy town away! You didn’t leave the state!” Of course, to me, I’ve trudged through mountains, valleys, rivers and more to get here.… 
I’m excited to move into my new building, the fresh start and all. Even more excited to leave the ugly ‘Di-drama’ behind me. My sister shares my excitement. “This is SO great,” she says. “Now you can move forward with your life and fly under the radar.” This would be my sister who says I… 
I woke up yesterday with one thought. I’m finally single. Happy Birthday to me! Sure, technically it happened in June but with all of the contempt charges and house sale resistance, it felt anything but liberating. There was no time to finally feel single. In actuality, I’m not really sure what this means. Or just… 
It’s difficult to understand divorce unless you experience it. In fact, that’s true with most aspects of life. The deepest empathy is derived from a true understanding of walking in another’s shoes. Take grief for example. When we are young it’s difficult to grasp unless it touches our lives. We don’t necessarily attend a funeral,…