“Divorce is a deeply personal, emotional, gut-wrenching experience. Everyone has their opinion. Such as, once you make a commitment, you stick with it. The worst thing you can do to your kids is divorce. You work it out, no matter what.

Despite being blasted for it at times, I disagree. Yes, divorce is awful, and you never want your children to experience the pain of a “broken” family. I wanted my marriage to last. I didn’t go into it thinking, “Well, if it doesn’t work out, we’ll just get divorced.” No, no, no. When I said, “I do,”  wanted it to be for life.

But things happen. And in the end, you want to teach your children the right things about love, marriage and commitment, right? You want to exemplify what a strong, healthy relationship is through the example you provide. And if you can’t do that, what good is it? Kids aren’t dumb. They observe. They know. Even when you don’t directly address it.  And I’d rather show my kids how to be strong alone than how to be miserable in an unhealthy relationship. If they grow up in a not-so-great situation, that’s what they’ll know as normal. They will pattern those behaviors.  They will continue the cycle of accepting unhealthy relationships as the norm. That when it comes to marriage,  this is “just how it is.”

For me, that wasn’t an option. I wanted better for my kids — and myself.”