You can contact Ms. Zarozny directly at sharon@brilliantexits.com.
What a year it’s been. During the presidential campaign, we saw our leaders battling each other in hurtful, angry, and unprecedented ways. It got so nasty teachers aborted school projects designed to teach kids the beauty of our democracy in action.
The destruction went deep. Bullying rose across the country. Some kids were scared their mom and/or dad would be deported, never to be seen again. Adults were scared too, keeping therapists busy as the nastiness and threat of big changes triggered old traumas, fears and anxiety.
And then, once the election was over, a much needed breathe of fresh air descended as President Obama, Hillary Clinton and Donald Trump stepped before us. With the election a done deal, the war was over (temporarily, at least) and fortunately our leaders decided healing was in everyone’s best interest.
Putting aside their differences, each focused on the best way to help us overcome the destruction, mend the wounds and achieve a smooth, peaceful transition. Each modeled moving on with grace and dignity, even in the aftermath of a mean, grueling battle.
See where I’m going here? There are a lot of parallels between what our country has been through lately and what divorcing families go through. Often it gets ugly at home, kids fear loosing a parent, and unknowns fuel anxiety. Even election night was a lesson. It was much like going to Court and suddenly having a Judge’s ruling define your future.
It’s no secret that divorcing is painful and divisive. It forces us to trade our hopes and dreams for the unknown. The resulting pain often turns to anger — making even the nicest people unreasonable. And that generally leads to chaos, which is really unsettling for kids and adults.
So what do you do? Like the election, you can't change what’s happened to your family — but you do get to choose how you will handle what comes next. How you do that is crucial — especially when kids are watching.
It’s where your power lies.