The Beginning of the End

For almost nine years, I was married to the love of my life. On July 6, 2009, that came to a screeching halt when he called to tell me he had packed his things and was moving out. I was visiting family with our seven year old son at the time. It was 7:30 in the morning - what a wake up call.
Denial was my immediate survival mode of choice since plans for the day had already been made and to cancel them would have been a disappointment to our son. After that, I went through a large range of emotions from disbelief to overwhelmed to completely lonely... all within the span of two minutes.
Afterwards, I found some helpful ebooks online about what to do after a breakup, which helped keep things in perspective. It was mostly the same stuff friends and family will tell you, but somehow I was more inclined to pay attention after spending $39.95. Funny how paying for advice from someone you've never met feels more "helpful" than free advice from people you've known your whole life. However, the expensive advice served its purpose. I was able function as a semi-normal person even when I wasn't having to pretend to be fine for my son.
Following the advice included the decision to put some effort into my appearance (which I had let fall by the wayside as some moms do). The other ladies at work even commented on my cute, new, "sexy" shoes - a major accomplishment for somebody whose been in voluntary "blend in/invisible" mode for the last 10 years.
My next coping mechanism was to go somewhere away from home and stress as much as possible. For me, it's the beach. Fortunately, I have family at a beach that is only three hours away. I rediscovered my love of boogie boarding and have been teaching my son the timing of catching waves (with the help of my cousin and her husband). Yes, a mom in a swimdress (it covers all cellulite) can still boogie board with the best of them. Maybe not as attractively as the best of them, but with just as much fun and enjoyment.