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Is divorce always tragic?
Mary Elizabeth Williams thinks not:
"Life rarely gives us forever. And if instead it hands us 10 or 20 or 40 good years with a good person, that's not a failure. That's worth a cake and a party too. When it comes to love, steadfastness is a virtue, but sometimes, so is letting go."
I disagree. Such a loss is immensely tragic. As I say here:
"Divorce *is* tragic. It's not about moving on-- it's the funeral of family. Sometimes it's necessary. But it's full of human suffering and the yawning chasm of heartbreak. Let's not pretend this isn't so! Even if it's the best choice in a given situation."
If the two of you have children together, your children will suffer-- particularly if you complicate their lives with a string of temporary paramours (or just one resentful/inappropriate step-parent). As I say, sometimes we cannot keep a family together. Sometimes a marriage is so dysfunctional that it is impossible to survive. Why does our culture need to pretend this isn't a bad thing? Divorce isn't just a part of life-- it, like death, erases something important that can never exist again. Sure, we "get over" the death of loved ones. But the claim that dead marriages shouldn't be mourned in a similar way is grossly out of touch with the lived reality of many broken families.
Gyah. Sometimes I have trouble relating to the moral conscience of our culture. 














