Divorce Decree

Doomsday is coming…..  It was with mixed feelings that I arrived at the courthouse.

I have many questions, and I’m not sure this is the perfect solution to our problems.   But sometimes in real life, you have to let go, when you’ve done all you can.

Well, it’s happened.   The Mitchell marriage is officially over.   Date of death: February 24, 2016.

My 55th birthday

 

 

How ironic, my 4th marriage ended on my 55th birthday…..   I pray to God that I never have to go thru this again.

Thank you everyone for your support during this time of grief.   I thought it would be okay, since we’ve been separated so long.   But divorce is still a death, and has to be grieved.   I’m sure peace will come in time.

Mitchell marriage:  Even with all your challenges, you put up a good fight to live.

13 years is a long time, yet not long enough.

                            

               

 

 

Divorce Decision

With a pervasive sense of sadness, I drove to the courthouse, and filed my divorce papers.  

We’ve tried to make our marriage work, we just couldn’t.

The clerk couldn’t say how long it would take to have a court date. So, we’ll see….

 

 

Endings are always bittersweet.

Bitter, because I feel like a failure.   This is my third divorce.   What kind of awful person am I, anyway??   (The only saving grace in my mind is, the first 2 divorces were to the same husband.   No one can ever say we didn’t try!)

Sweet, because it will be a relief to just have it done, and over with.   Even as amicable as we are, there is always a certain tension.

So, on to practical matters.  For obvious reasons, DH will now be referred to as XH. (EX-Husband.)

We have agreed to remain friends, so he may still appear now and again.

My name will be changing again.   Not to my last married name, but to my first married name.  Since we have children together, with that name, and I was a Woideck longer than anything else, except my maiden name, Hawkins.

“Boutonniere-whitesuit” by David Ball – Own work. Licensed under CC BY 2.5 via Wikimedia Commons – https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Boutonniere-whitesuit.jpg#/media/File:Boutonniere-whitesuit.jpg

 

 

  My last married name, Sanchez, never felt truly mine.  Probably because he died of cancer after only 2 months.   And being a widow was so shocking, and painful, that nothing felt right.

 

 

 

 

And now a new chapter begins……

Hey, it says what I needed- (the first line anyway! ) AND- IT”S PURPLE!!

 

Strawberry School

If you missed any of the story: go here:

Part 1, Strawberry City, part 2, Man Giant, part 3, Strawberry Banquet, part 4, Strawberry Love, part 5, Strawberry Slush, part 6, Strawberry Sickness, part 7, Strawberry Daiquiri.

divorce Strawberry Girl.  She had so many problems, and acted out against what she should be doing, and damaged her marriage.

It was a sad time for the whole family.

But, life went on…

Fast forward several years.  Strawberry Girl met and married Ranch Man.

She was still acting out, and doing wrong stuff. Her girls had both decided to go live with Man Giant.

Strawberry Girl was so sad, but she knew it was best for the girls.

Strawberry Girl decided to start teaching again, because she really hadn’t been using her mind for a long time.

It was okay for 2 years.  Then, she was diagnosed with Manic Depression.  Finally, everything started to make sense.  Her drinking, depression, and other things were all part of another disease.  It helped Strawberry Girl to get on the right kind of medication.

Mama had come back to live with her again, so Strawberry Girl once again had someone cleaning up her messes, and clutter.  So, she got along for a while.

Then, tragedy struck.  Strawberry Girl had a nervous breakdown, and had to go back to the hospital.

She couldn’t work for 9 months.  And, it happened again, several times.

The 3rd time, Strawberry Girl realized she better quit teaching while she could still be coherent.  So, she got on disability.

About this time, the first Strawberry Giant Daughter came back to live with Strawberry Girl, and Ranch Man.

This led to interesting adventures, but they’re not part of this story, alas.  Maybe another day….

Strawberry Giant Daughter fell in love……..

To Be Continued….

strawberry love

(In case you missed them, part one, Strawberry City,  part two, Man Giant,  and part three, Strawberry Banquet.)

…yes!”

Joyfully, Man Giant, knelt down, asked 1 final time for Strawberry Girl’s hand in marriage.

After hearing her “Yes!”, he put the sparkling diamond on her hand, that he had been carrying in his pocket for so long.

At last, they were Engaged!

Strawberry Girl, and Man Giant were so happy!

Of course, they had a perfect purple wedding, with Tiny Noel as the Best Man.  Strawberry Girl’s Sis, and Aunt were her attendants.

The Honeymoon was in a castle, on the beach.  What a wonderful time they had, just being together.

But, when they got home, and began living together, Man Giant began being  puzzled at the messes, and clutter that seemed to follow Strawberry Girl, wherever she went.  Before, he had been so blindly in love, that he never noticed.

“Just clean up”, he tells her.

Strawberry Girl struggles to clean, and organize, but it’s the same trouble she’s always had.  Man Giant helps her clean, and organize, but still doesn’t understand why she can’t do it herself.

In due time, Baby Strawberry Giant arrives, to every one’s great delight!

To be continued……

strawberry banquet

(If you missed it, part one, Strawberry City,  and part two, Man Giant here.)

The Charger had gone over a cliff!  He slid down to the bottom, and regained his hooves, shaking in fear, and with the cold.

Man Giant

swept Strawberry Girl off the horse into his arms.

Rain mingled with the tears on both their faces.

Strawberry Girl wept, “Can I ever thank you enough for saving my life?”

Man Giant,  who was no dummy, asked for her hand in marriage.

Confused,and still shaken up, she rebuffed him.

But Man Giant continued to show her true love. And, he always asked for her hand in marriage, after each date.

Eventually, even he grew weary of asking, and being rejected.

Meanwhile, Strawberry Girl begins to realize love is beginning in her heart, due to his careful cherishing of her, and the way Man Giant demonstrated true, Biblical love, in every circumstance.

The time of love arrives, the special day set apart to celebrate true love.

Man Giant invites Strawberry Girl to a special banquet, with all her favorite foods, embellished with all her favorite purple flowers.

After the delicious food was all consumed, Strawberry Girl grabbed Man Giant’s hand.

And started her carefully planned speech.

“Man Giant, you’ve shown me nothing but true love, and I have rejected you all this time.  Please forgive me for hurting you so, when all you have done is love me.  If you will ask me again, the question you always ask, I will say….”

To be continued…