I open the door to the office. My thoughts devour me as I sink deep into the sofa. I nervously twirl my cup of coffee. I am frightened to share the epiphany that I have had just moments before. I stare at the obligatory box of tissues that beckon from the table before me. I snatch one and intuitively position it where tears will soon soak it.<\/p>\n
\u201cI think I am in trouble,\u201d I utter.<\/p>\n
My marriage counselor hedges towards the edge of his seat.<\/p>\n
\u201cWhy?\u201d he asks.<\/p>\n
I collect myself so that I can do my best to utter the devastating words.<\/p>\n
\u201cI think I married someone who doesn\u2019t share my value system,\u201d I whisper.<\/p>\n
The words escape my mouth though I don\u2019t want them to. I know if this dark epiphany is true that my marriage is over. No matter what it will not be fixed, but forever broken.<\/p>\n
My counselor inches even further in his seat as he takes in my words.<\/p>\n
\u201cWhy have you come to this conclusion?\u201d he prompts.<\/p>\n
\u201cMy mother raised all of us simply and without question to be guided in life by our faith, our family and our friends,\u201d I respond firmly. \u201cNot only in her words, but in her actions and by all she became and overcame.\u201d<\/p>\n
I give him no time to interject, but instead continue a rapid and nervous verbal vomiting.<\/p>\n
\u201cI married a man of my same religion and background. However, when faced with marital hardship, he seems to lack the spirituality or sense of family to navigate his way through it,\u201d I mutter.<\/p>\n
I can tell that my marriage counselor can see in my eyes what is forcing its way out of my heart. I have arrived at a personal impasse. I know two things:\u00a0 that the tools to save my marriage are not there and that I am about to embark on a journey of one.<\/p>\n
We chat until I use up my hour. It is one that forever ticks too quickly.<\/p>\n
I grab my coffee cup and my crumpled, teary tissues and I make my way outside. I wrestle the key to the ignition. I think of my mom, the spiritual giant who raised me.<\/p>\n
I think of the three things that she led me with, that help us travel through adversity rather than wander in it:\u00a0 faith, family and friends.<\/p>\n
It is with some time that I wander through the lobby making my way towards the elevator. The doors open long enough to usher me in and then moments later again to force me out. I wait in the reception area only moments before I find myself in his office. Once again, there are the obligatory box of tissues on the desk before me.<\/p>\n
\u201cI think I am in trouble,\u201d I utter.<\/p>\n
His kind eyes and reassuring demeanor offers a brief respite.<\/p>\n
My attorney pushes the box of tissues towards me.<\/p>\n
I snatch one as it muffles the tears escaping from within me. I think to myself I am becoming quite the \u2018tissue connoisseur\u2019 and frankly, I prefer Kleenex.<\/p>\n
<\/p>\n
<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"
I open the door to the office. My thoughts devour me as I sink deep into the sofa. I nervously twirl my cup of coffee. I am frightened to share the epiphany that I have had just moments before. I stare at the obligatory box of tissues that beckon from the table before me. I…<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":575,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[1],"tags":[230,6,2,5,229,4],"class_list":["post-8","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","hentry","category-divorce-2","tag-catholic","tag-counseling","tag-divorce","tag-love","tag-marriage","tag-relationships"],"yoast_head":"\n