Little girls dream about their wedding for years, but nobody plans for a divorce. Separating a marriage can happen for several reasons, most of which are completely unexpected.
Making a few mistakes along the way is completely forgivable. However, we asked the WomenWorking.com Facebook community if they would do anything differently. Several women stood by their decisions and didn’t have any regrets, but others shared their stories. We hope their experiences can help other people in this situation, too.
I wish I had trusted my gut
“I regret not listening to my gut instinct! I was thinking in time he would change for the better.”
I wish I had made a financial plan
“I regret not finding the money for a lawyer. I represented myself and did all the legal work (filing) myself. He did too but I regret there not being a time limit on putting our house up for sale. He foreclosed and lived there without paying for several years.”
I wish I didn’t give up my dreams for him
“I gave up going to nursing school for my high school sweetheart. I should have asked for alimony. I loved the guy with all my heart. Never married again.”
I wish I could’ve helped my kids understand this wasn’t about them
“I don’t regret my divorce. I’m much happier being out of an extremely unhappy marriage. My ONLY regret is turning my son’s life upside down. He stayed with his dad, but I still see him. But I know he resents what I did in leaving, so I regret ruining how close my son and I were. I did what was best for him for the time being. I only hope my son forgives me one day.”
I wish I could’ve seen his lies from the start
“[I regret] being so naive and believing in everything he told me. Trust is very important to me! [He] lied every chance he could, and I believed him.”
I wish I got out of the marriage sooner
“My biggest regret was not doing it sooner. I regret letting his family try to rule my life and take over my home. Twenty years was too long and my children suffered for it.”
