What oddball things did you do in an attempt to feel whole after the divorce? I am sure some went out and had sex with anything with a pulse, others may have opted for other extremes. I tried replacing all the kitchen items she took including a $300 mixer that I have yet to use a year later. Sometimes I just want to feel whole again and every day I get a little stronger realizing that I am whole on my own without trying to replace what she took. But sometimes damnit I want to buy stuff.
I just bought an awesome new bed, soon I will have replaced all the items of cloths I ever had in the marriage and I have all new dishes and furniture.
The less things we shared or had while married, the more thing sI obtain while free of my EX make life feel much more whole.
The fewer reminders the better. It didn't hurt to have sex with someone else just so the last person I had sex with wasn't him. I just tried to put a lot of distance between us and do things that he scoffed at or wouldn't do.
I went to the theater, I volunteered with Habitat, I went on trips he wouldn't take, like Vegas - he wouldn't go anywhere that required a flight because he had to carry weed with him.
I also did things that were a little scary and beyond my comfort zone. I took my daughter camping (didn't sleep well and clutched my .44 but it was a trip to remember). I drove 7 hours by myself to a beach to meet friends (didn't like driving by myself that far).
I want to take a cruise but it will have to be with friends or alone because ex refuses to let me take our daughter - he won't sign for a passport.
Hmmm, took dancing classes, took up archery, stopped working for a year (brain injury, but what the heck...), went to volunteer pretty much half time at an independent film theatre, drove up the driveway when it was covered with snow and icy with my AWD vehicle my H was paying for (he was deployed, and had to support me, lol, should have thought about that before he left behind evidence of his cheating and lying...), rented an apartment all for my own, started working again, and applied to college for a third degree in subjects that I love! Oh right, I also bought good bras and nice clothes that were affordable and attractive. I had a social worker the whole time, and therapy. What else, I made Halloween costumes for my kids - my son has a really great rooster costume, and my daughter has a Native American dress that rocks. It was a good year, and it set the stage for the life I really wanted. I decluttered, and now have a new professional job that's in my niche...still dancing, still going to the movies, writing arts and culture reviews and making a name for myself here on campus and beyond. Oh, and after I filed for divorce I had a nice love affair with a friend of mine, and within ten days of us being together saved his life (he had a brain hemorrhage...near fatal...) All in all, I think I had an okay divorce, except the realization of the abuse and the rape was kind of brutal mentally, but it got overshadowed pretty quickly by being able to mourn properly for the loss of my friend's life as it had been. It's been a lot easier to remember that, than what preceded it. I always knew that one guy would have a special effect on my life, I just could never figure out what it was about him, the whole year we knew each other as friends, before, how we would be connected the rest of our lives...
Oh, and not quite a year out, I bought jeggings, and leggings, and I wear them in public. I also started supporting my son in his art studies, no more endless movies and Wii games on what's his face's big screen tv, no more putting up with violence in media in my life without any say in the matter...
oh right, I finally got myself to a Quaker meeting. :-)
After I moved my stuff to an apartment, I ignored the fact that things needed to be unpacked, I went camping with my kids and friends for a week!
Strangely enough,just leaving him was enough to make me feel whole again.I was giving so much of myself to making things work.I felt incomplete,exhausted,and empty.I have nice things,a fixer upper house,and I haven't seen the inside of a real shopping mall in ages.It feels good
Being rid of her, (well,,, on her terms) and not having every moment planned for every second of every day. I no longer have to deal with her expensive spending habits that dug us deeper and deeper in severe debt, I dont have to worry about her mom and providing a place for her every time she was evicted from her house...
--Just realizing that I was allowed to offload this huge sack of obligations for someone that completely lacked any compassion, affection, or interest beyond her own nose, was where I started feeling whole again. Seperating from that "sickness" whatever definition it may come to, was stepping off of the freaking crazy ride. Oh man, was it peaceful for once.
I havent done anything near what a few have posted already, but Im in my own house, and am taking care of myself, and my daughter when I have her every other week for the week.
I get together with friends, and had a couple take over my kitchen last weekend and made tortilla soup, while we drank a few beers and ate well.
I made "service" and "obligation" my #1 directive in my marriage, I think because all other avenues of approach were completely shut off by her after awhile. 2 dudes on the side seem to facilitate that process for sure.
But being rid of that constant non-reciprocal obligation via marriage, opened my entire life up to new possibilities.
All of those things that I would have loved to do, but couldn't because of him. And I haven't hit them all yet.
#1 is Dancing!! I always loved to dance, and now I'm doing it at least once a week, whether it's a class or at our local contra group. It is the biggest mood booster I have.
I've gone camping with my son, I went on a solo overnight cross-country ski trip (where I got lost in the National Forest and saw a bear, lol), and I've volunteered at a few places that I was always interested in, like our local food bank, and a couple of film festivals.
Oh, and I've been to a few concerts and bar shows, theatre productions, and I went in costume to Rocky Horror Picture Show last Halloween.
In other words, I've opened up the cage door and let angel out to play!!
I need to try starfishing. I usually huddle up though in the place where my AWESOME boyfriend had his near-fatal brain hemorrhage, and hence his last coherent thoughts. His memory of our relationship was eradicated by well, medical trauma. I like to think of that place as the last safe place I experienced before all hell broke loose in my life. It's been a bit surreal since then...like the tragedy brought on a whole new consciousness not just for him, but for me. My life is not recognizable compared to what it was previously. It feels more 'attached' but TO WHAT? Greater consciousness, perhaps...but where is the anchor point? I believe it's love...but am having trouble letting it manifest, for one reason or another. Maybe it's time for another consult with the shaman (which is what I did to feel whole, on top of everything else...)
All of those things that I would have loved to do, but couldn't because of him. And I haven't hit them all yet.
#1 is Dancing!! I always loved to dance, and now I'm doing it at least once a week, whether it's a class or at our local contra group. It is the biggest mood booster I have.
I've gone camping with my son, I went on a solo overnight cross-country ski trip (where I got lost in the National Forest and saw a bear, lol), and I've volunteered at a few places that I was always interested in, like our local food bank, and a couple of film festivals.
Oh, and I've been to a few concerts and bar shows, theatre productions, and I went in costume to Rocky Horror Picture Show last Halloween.
In other words, I've opened up the cage door and let angel out to play!!
The solo xc ski trip sounds quite adventurous. What kind of bear? Where I live our bears are rather small and somewhat on the tame side, as compared to our west or Alaska/Canada. What kind of camping do you do, and how old is son (appx)? Where have you volunteered? I'm just psyched about all this stuff you're doing...sounds like me only more so, I need inspiration.
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What goofy things did you do to feel whole? 
Being rid of her, (well,,, on her terms) and not having every moment planned for every second of every day. I no longer have to deal with her expensive spending habits that dug us deeper and deeper in severe debt, I dont have to worry about her mom and providing a place for her every time she was evicted from her house...
