Dear Fearless Love,
How do you know when divorce is the best option for your relationship? What should my husband and I be considering as we contemplate this important decision of going our separate ways? We’ve been married 25 years and the kids are out of the house.
~Nancy and Pete
Dear Nancy and Pete,
After establishing a life around raising children and maintaining a lifestyle, some empty nesters experience confusion and identity crisis. You may look at your partner and wonder, who’s this stranger? Do we have anything in common?
The empty nest doesn’t have to be a place of disconnection and contention but can emerge as a glorious time of rebirth:
1. Honest self-evaluation is the first step2. Conduct a simple inventory of your values and goals
3. Discover your purpose
4. Embrace the new freedom to explore new hobbies and interests
5. Rediscover sensuality and sexual intimacy
6. Get to know each other again
7. Nurture the relationship every day
8. You’ve done the hard part of marriage—enjoy the fruits of your labor and have fun
9. If you decide you’d rather move on then speak with professionals on the spiritual, psychological, legal and financial matters of divorce and consider the pros and cons prior to making a final decision.
Marriage creates the platform to fulfill our potential as well as the bedrock for healthy intimacy. A nuclear family is an incredible gift. Families can be the most fertile place for development, the catalyst for growth potential, as long as each of you agrees to growth and exploration as the next phase you’d like to embark on together. No matter which option you choose, growth and change is knocking at your door whether you embark on it together or separately.
Empty nest can be an once-in-a-lifetime opportunity to create a true “love nest.”
