Alive Again

I received an email on January 16, 2009 that rocked my world. My marriage just shy of thirty-six years and my role as a wife were over. The words jumped up at me from the screen in a blur. This was not real and this was not happening. It was all a mistake. Surely I had received this message in error. Shock and disbelief were the first feelings to register when I read the email. Next came the anger. An email? Why not a conversation? While it was true that our relationship had deteriorated over the years, I had never envisioned an end or the betrayal that would become evident soon enough. In the weeks that followed, auctions and a contents sale saw strangers raping treasures that had so lovingly been collected over the years. I saw my 'home' transformed into a 'house' by a stager. Happy memories of the past vanished quickly. I left trees and flower beds behind and moved into a small apartment. For the first time in my entire life, I was now completely on my own. I had gone from living in my childhood home directly into marriage and had never lived alone before. And I was terrified. Experiencing separation and divorce can be a painful and traumatic experience. But it helps to share the struggles with others. In Alive Again, author Karen Z. Hendin offers a collection of stories gathered from those who have been separated and divorced, including a description of her personal journey. Honest and sincere, the essays, submitted by a wide range of writers in different stages of their breakups, offer a variety of perspective and address the following issues: • How has this experience impacted on family or other social relationships? • How has your emotional well-being been affected? • Has the separation affected your career? • How is your sense of self-esteem and your morale? • Have you attended professional counseling sessions and/or support groups? Providing support and encouragement, Alive Again shares Hendin's belief that by sharing one's experiences, it's possible to learn from the mistakes in the past, move into the future in a much healthier headspace, and become alive again.