Jenny, thank you sooo much for all of this. Oh, if only I could go back to my early teen years...in spite of the abuse and alcoholism in my home, I would have insisted on staying in school, doing well, going to university. But no one ever showed any interest in my schoolwork, my grades, no one ever said, "what do you want to be when you grow up? Do you want to go to university?"

And yeah, you can live with someone or be involved with them and not live together, and have kids together in either case, and it's not such a big deal when it ends. Feels the same as divorce when you're in it, but no one else really cares. Until you have that legal document that says "you swore you'd do this forever!"

And of course, now I can look back and think how ridiculous it is that I believed I HAD to marry these people. But that's how I was raised. Those beliefs ran deep!

Oh, to have a do-over!!!

Thanks so much for reading this, Jenny, and for your kind thoughts and sharing your experience!! 💜💜💜