Angela Bassett in Waiting to Exhale
I was recently interviewed for Passerby, an online magazine and community for “everyday women.” While some of their resources are only available to subscribers (which is about $5/month), some, like their new “Unfiltered Guide to Navigating a Divorce,” are available to the public.
Even though the Guide opens with a picture of Angela Bassett walking away from a burning car in Waiting to Exhale, it’s not all bad news. (There are references to several other movies about divorce, also!) Author, Meghan Racklin, interviewed several women who talked about the whole divorce experience, from making the difficult decision to leave through to their lives starting over. My comments put the women’s stories in context. While most of the women talked about the difficulty of being in a bad marriage and grieving the relationship, they all eventually found their footing and were able to start over.
I do almost all of my work with both spouses together, so I know that there is much going on internally that I’m not privy to. (That is one of the big disadvantages of not meeting with clients separately!) I also don’t get to talk to my clients after their separation agreement is signed, so I don’t get to see how they go through hardships or flourish in their new lives. So these personal stories were really interesting to me.
With resources and references throughout, the Guide is one of the most thoughtful articles I’ve seen on the divorce process. I’m grateful to have been part of it!