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.