The Big Tell: I’m Getting Divorced

by Barry Gold
Posted on
Di-Curious

Having to tell your family and friends you’re getting Divorced can be a surprisingly difficult part of the process. At a really awful time in your life, when you’re already dealing with all the turmoil and fear and uncertainty, one of the last things you may want is to run into a friend at Starbucks who asks, “So what’s new?”

Author Wendy Paris, writing for Psychology Today’s website, believes that the act of telling others about your split is actually a great opportunity. She explains that marriages exist within communities, and members of those communities can be confused by a Divorce. So the way you break the news helps the community see how you’re viewing it, and lets them know what to expect.

by Barry Gold
Posted on
Di-Curious

Getting divorced is guaranteed to cause pain.

It hurts to realize your plan for the future won’t come true. It hurts to realize your spouse is not who you thought he or she was (and maybe you aren’t, either). It hurts to leave your family home, and to divide the possessions you shared there.

Much of the pain tends to hit both men and women equally.

There is, however, a divorce aspect that’s unequal: In a gray divorce, with a marriage that lasted two decades or more, when it comes to the friends you shared as a couple, the man is going to get hurt.

by Barry Gold
Posted on
Di-Curious

Going through a divorce means dividing up everything you acquired as a couple. The distribution of the financial assets is decided by mediation or court order; it can go easily, or be very difficult and painful. When it comes to dividing the friends, however, there is no controlling authority… and very often it’s filled with difficulty and pain.

by Barry Gold
Posted on
Di-Curious

There’s just no way around it: when you get divorced, some weird stuff is gonna happen with your friends. Some may side with you, some may choose your spouse, others may want nothing to do with either of you. Regardless, there’s an excellent chance your social life is going to take a hit.

This article from First Wives World suggests that your new found alone-time may actually be a good thing. And it argues that the friends’ reaction says more about them and their issues than it does about you and yours. As the name of the website suggests, the article is aimed at women, but there’s no reason men can’t benefit from checking it out as well.