It might seem odd to give thanks for your divorce on Thanksgiving Day. (Bringing it up at the dinner table will definitely result in a mixed reaction.)
But for those of us who've experienced heartbreak and come out stronger because of it, there are few life events more worthy of a toast than divorce.
With that in mind, we asked our readers on Facebook to share with us why they're grateful for their divorce this year. Below are 25 ways divorce has changed the lives of our readers.
1. "I am thankful for becoming the person that I am. I've learned so much along the way. Even the pain served a purpose." -Amber L.
2. "I'm thankful for my self-respect." -Tara H.
3. "I'm thankful the two of us were able to rebuild our lives. We got out earlier instead of waking up 50 years later and asking, 'what happened to us?'" -Pilar G.
4. "I am most thankful for my divorce because my ex-husband found love in his current wife (we did not have love between us in our marriage) and she has been so wonderful to our sons." -Lori S.
5. "I'm thankful to be having sex again!" -Robin T.
6. "I'm grateful I don't have to look into my son's eyes when he says 'Are you two gonna argue again tonight?' He was 4-year-old when we divorced and four years later we are a happy peaceful family completed by a wonderful man that talks things through." -Ifer J.
7. "I am thankful for a peaceful relationship with the ex, great co-parenting and the fact that we can all be adults. We're all having Thanksgiving dinner together this year, with the children, the ex and the new amazing man in my life." -Beth R.
8. "Divorce allowed me to find myself again, to not deal with mental and verbal abuse, to focus on loving myself, to have peace and dignity and to enjoy and appreciate my struggles. Most importantly, divorce has allowed me to show my son that respect and loving yourself is essential in life and that sometimes the actions you take in life are necessary to live a happy life, even if they hurt." -Rubi P.
9. "I'm thankful that God gave me the strength to take my three kids and leave a tough situation. And from that moment on, I grew stronger and stronger and became the kind of mom I never knew I could be." -Christine N.
10. "I'm thankful I never have to eat my ex mother-in-law's awful Thanksgiving dinner again. It was unpalatable!" -Karen F.
11. "I am thankful I lost 30 pounds after the divorce!" -Mary W.
12. "Why am I grateful for my divorce? I have the opportunity to re-find my old spunky, fun self. It got lost because I was the only adult in the marriage." -Marcia B.
13. "I was able to reclaim my old self, which I had given up during my marriage in a completely misguided effort to please my spouse." -Marice D.
14. "I am thankful for less laundry, less dishes and less cleaning up after someone else!" -Lisa C.
15. "I am thankful for my divorce because I was able to move away, finish my degree at a university like I had always wanted, made many new friends, and even have an amazing boyfriend now. My divorce has truly changed my life for the better." -Lisa M.
16. "I'm grateful to have the opportunity to have an authentic marriage with my second husband. Marriage is hell with the wrong person, complete heaven with the right one." -Amy G.
17. "I'm thankful because I learned that I can do whatever I set my mind to." -Lynnette B.
18. "I am no longer put down, screamed at, called names, or treated with hostility on a daily basis and for that I am thankful." -Melissa B.
19. "I'm thankful for divorce because it showed me the true colors of friends, and even family -- but most importantly, it gave me the opportunity to be the person I've always wanted to become!" -Lisa H.
20. "I was able to start an organization that helps women go through relationship transitions with a support group. I am thankful for meeting new friends and helping others, all because of my divorce!" -Janette V.
21. "Im thankful that he constantly shows me that I made the right decision when I filed." -Tiffany A.
22. "I have become a better mother to my daughters without the stress of a dysfunctional marriage on my plate." -Shelli K.
23. "If not for my divorce, I would have never met the man of my dreams." Gayle H.
24. "I'm thankful we can both agree that the most important thing is our son so we can focus on him instead of our differences." -Nikki C.
25. "I am thankful for my divorce because it has allowed me to become more independent, a better mother and it forced me to look at who I was. I didn't like who I was with my ex-husband but now I do. I don't think I would have ever had the courage to be who I truly was meant to be without divorcing my husband." -Sarah K.
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