"Until Death Do Us Part..."

No matter what language you say your wedding vows in, no matter what words are used, it all comes down to the same thing: sharing the rest of your life with that one other person by your side, no matter what.

So there you are, sitting at home, alone, wondering why the pages of your life are passing you by, unrecognizable to you because it doesn't seem like the story you had planned to write. Where's your house with the white picket fence? Where's the fairy tale ending?

I'm not here to make any judgement calls on what happens to practically fifty percent of couples once the vows are said, the rings are exchanged, the bride is kissed, the party's over, and the honeymoon has ended. Nobody can really know what is going on in any relationship that is not their own.

The reality of life is that it's a journey that has its share of obstacles. It's a journey that has detours and unexpected turns. It's a journey that is easier to take with the right person by your side to support you and encourage you.

The opposite is true as well. While on your journey, if the person you love and care about is not the right person to enable you to take the next step, then the question is 'Is this person the right person to share my journey with?'

It's a scary question to face. It might seem like a defeat in a way if you admit that you didn't make the right choice when choosing the person you planned to spend the rest of your life with.

Here's my advice. Forget about the awkwardness and discomfort that comes from dividing what you both brought together. Forget about the financial details that you will have to go through in order to separate 'what's yours and mine.' Forget about the reality of temporarily being alone while revisiting your search for 'the one.'

How about thinking of divorce as a new chapter in your life. Think of it as giving yourself and your ex-spouse a second chance at happiness. Think of it as making a decision that will, in the end, relieve the burdens of your life instead of adding to them. Give yourself the opportunity to turn the page, start fresh, write a new chapter, and help yourself find your very own happy ending.

With all of this said and done, I would like to point out that I am not encouraging people to get divorced. I believe in compromising, I believe in working things out, I believe in doing all that you can do to make the best out of the situation you are faced with. I believe that you have to make smart choices in your life. But nobody's perfect. People do make mistakes. All I'm saying is that you don't have to live with a mistake you've made for the rest of your life once you come to realise that the choice you made is not the right one for you.

Be strong. And remember that you are not alone.