I never thought my marriage would end in divorce. I loved my husband, and at the start of our marriage, I thought I would be spending the rest of my life with him. However, twelve years later and after all the pressures of married life and one moment of infidelity, we finally agreed to have a divorce. It had come to a point when all the two of us can do was fight if we were in the same room. This happened at home, and even when we were out in public. He was miserable, I was miserable, and sometimes, we even made our friends miserable.
Soon after signing the divorce papers, I went back to the house that we shared for twelve years. He had moved out, and it looked big and empty. Even after years of arguments, I found myself missing my husband. I spent a few minutes sitting on the porch, unwilling to go inside and spend the rest of my life alone in a big and empty house.
The first year was terrible. I had been out of the dating game for 12 years and everything about it intimidated me. My friends would set me up with their unmarried or divorced friends, but nothing worked out. Of course, I was lonely. I lived in a big house, but no one and nothing greeted me when I came home. I tried to recover from the loneliness by taking up new hobbies so that I wouldn't have to go home straight after work. This helped me a lot, since it make me rediscover my artistic side, something which was put on the backburner when I got married. After a few months of painting courses I started to volunteer as a painting instructor at the local home.
It was during a painting session when I met Arthur. His mother was living in the home and although he has been visiting her diligently for the past months, it was the first time for us to meet. Arthur was kind and considerate, and I could see it in the way he treated his mother. He was also divorced, an architect who owned his own firm, and he had 2 kids. His marriage ended 10 years before, but like me, he also did not see the point of running blindly from one date to another. "I think love will find us if we're really destined to find it again," he once told me wistfully.
Arthur and I started going out for coffee after each painting class, just talking and sharing our experiences post divorce. It was so easy talking to him, especially since he also went through the same things I went through. Coffee conversations turned into dinner conversations, until finally he asked me out on an official date, something which thrilled us both, since it was the first time each of us would be going out on a date.
I realized that I had fallen in love with Arthur on our fourth date. Each moment I spent with him was magical. He was thoughtful and honest, everything I wanted in a best friend and in a partner. It was after the sixth date that he asked if I would be his girlfriend, and Arthur and I have been together ever since.
I never thought my first marriage would end in divorce. I also did not think that I would find my true loveand my best friend after divorce. Life really works in ways you do not expect. If you are miserable after divorce, don't be. Life is wonderful, especially if you enjoy the life you already have and stop rushing after love. Love will find its way to you, you just have to patient enough and wait for it.
