Throughout my life there have been numerous moments where I was faced with a fork in the road: stay or go.
As part of my character, I tend to persevere. I’m not a quitter when things get hard (well, except for running). When faced with the choice of stay or go, staying is often the choice that seems easiest.
Time to move:? It’s easier not to.
Time to change jobs? It’s easier not to.
But sometimes staying becomes harder than leaving.
In my marriage, it was abundantly clear within the first 6 months that it never should have happened.
I should have left. I should have admitted our mistake and moved on.
I didn’t. I stayed for nine more years.
But in that ninth year, the choice was clear. It was clearly less difficult to go than stay.
Not that I took the decision to divorce lightly. I definitely did not. I had given it my all for nine years. And my all wasn’t good enough.
To stay meant to sacrifice my life. To sacrifice my children’s lives. Just for the sake of staying.
I left.















{ 7 comments… read them below or add one }
Staying can be a difficult choice. But one only you can make. Stopping by for Five Minute Friday.
Debbie recently posted..Five Minute Friday ~ Stay
Thanks for sharing your beautiful, honest heart.
denise recently posted..Five Minute Friday/Stay
… we hear you …
Linda Stoll recently posted..300 Seconds on Staying Behind
You know for yourself the efforts you made – That’s what you get to carry with you.
oh wow. so honest and raw. sounds like you really did give it your all though.
christina recently posted..TILTW: 11.10-11.16
You are beautiful and brave and honest and I’m glad I know you!
Kathy at kissing the frog recently posted..Liebsters and 30 Blogs You Have to Read
This is almost exactly the story of my marriage. Staying is easier, until all of a sudden it isn’t. For me there were blessings in letting it go. He quit drinking, the youngest got to know him as a sober dad. The oldest is still working through his issues with his dad, but he’s getting there. We’ve both met people who make us happy. People who our children like.
My only regret is staying too long.
Vanessa recently posted..5 Things About – Shit I Don’t Want To Hear From Single People