Starting over

My mind keeps thinking about a very good friend of mine who’s gearing up to tell her parents today that her relationship is over. They’ve been together for as long as most people can remember but to most people around her, including her parents, it’s going to be a surprise. I often wonder why we keep the illusion that our relationships are wonderful when they really aren’t?

I also wonder about when we decide that we’re finally going to do something about our unhappiness that it takes “telling the family” before it’s really going to happen? I know in my previous life that once I told my family that I’d been miserable for years with a controlling son of a bitch for a husband that I truly knew I could go through it.

We’re hoping for our friend’s sake that her parents are supportive and will help her start a whole new life. She’ll have a whole new set of friends and she’ll begin to laugh – a lot. The house will be peaceful and friendly.

I’ve suggested that she look forward instead of back and not to worry so much about how he’ll cope but to focus on creating the life she wants.

If you’ve started over, do you have any suggestions for my friend?