After the shittiest 6 months of my life, I can now feel that I'm coming out the other side.
6 months ago I discovered my DH's affair and my marriage imploded (was a happy/equal/non-abusive etc marriage). With 3 young children to also consider the pain was immense (I call it 'movie pain' - I always thought people were exaggerating for effect when they bent double or had to clutch a wall when upset, but that's how I was at times. I even cried myself to sleep on many occasions, which I never thought would be something I would ever do).
We tried to make it work and keep it from the kids, but since admitting defeat and separating properly a few weeks ago I feel positive about the future.
For anyone going through this now and in the future, I'd advise you to suspend all the things you think about yourself right now (you need him/you'll never cope/I owe it to the kids..) and face your future with positivity.
I thought I'd share some of my favourite quotes which sum up how I feel and felt, and might provide a bit of motivation to help get you through the tough months ahead:
"Sometimes giving someone a second chance is like giving them a second bullet after they missed first time"
"Not everyone will understand your journey. That's fine. It's not their journey to make sense of"
"I want the kind of marriage that makes my kids want to get married"
"At some point you have to realise some people can stay in your heart but not in your lives"
"It hurt because it mattered"
"Thanks for the friendship, thank you for the smile. Thank you for loving me though it was only for a while. True, my heart was broken, and yes my eyes did cry. But the pain is all over now because I have learned to say goodbye"
"Just because something ends, doesn't mean it never should have been. Remember, you lived, you learned, you grew and moved on"
"Sometimes you miss the memories, not the person"
Good luck to everyone who's in pain right now. I know you won't believe that it gets easier (because although we hear it we somehow think it applies to everyone but not us. Our situation's different, right?!), but trust me. It did for me, and it will for you x