marriage

I walked away from two long-term relationships (and two picked-out-but-not-purchased engagement rings) because of my resolve that I would only marry once. Then I met my future husband John* in the course of my internship at his publishing company...

I don't exactly advocate divorce for anyone with a gripe about his or her spouse. Whatever I think of my own divorce, it's not something to take lightly. Divorce is serious. It's the death of a relationship, the end of something that was supposed to last forever. It must be grieved.

If your marriage is anything like mine, your text history with your spouse is a mixture of topics, often several at once. It’s not unheard of for me and my husband to be flirting in one text and talking about what time our son’s soccer game is in the next — and those texts minute be sent seconds apart.

It's all going to be okay. Things are totally crappy right now but this moment, this feeling, is temporary. I'm not going to sugarcoat anything — the next few years will be more than challenging, and you will need to prepare yourself. To build your confidence, I will share insight from the safe and secure place I'm now — six years since the day your husband announced he wanted a divorce.

Just because a couple decides to marry doesn’t automatically mean that they want kids. Many couples in loving relationships simply want to share a life together — without any children. There is no rule to say they should.

When I think back, I don’t even remember getting engaged. What girl forgets that?

I guess it’s normal to be nervous. All we hear about is the pain and agony surrounding childbirth. People enjoy warning you about sleepless nights, tons of laundry and the massive poops you’ll deal with once the baby is here.

Divorce is something most couples stumble into unexpectedly. You just can't prepare yourself for something like that, so when it happens just about everything feels unfamiliar and phony.