Despite my qualifications I was encouraged to take poorly paid part time work to be able to take our children to school and collect them. This meant OH could always work and travel without any difficulty. He was never that great as a partner, but when his parents died and he suddenly had money I was faced with a middle aged adolescent who now felt he could behave exactly as he chose. I was informed that I should get myself 'a proper job' like his (by then I was in my fifties with 3 teenage children). I managed to stay in a horribly abusive situation taking care of the home and family and still working whilst he spent his leisure time drinking, playing Football Manager, and going out, telling me all the time how inadequate I was. He retired early and as part of the divorce settlement and thanks to his generous pension I was able to keep the house as a home for us all. The children are all now happily married with children of their own and I am very much a part of the grandchildren's lives, often taking care of them so that their parents can work. They have little time for their father who has since remarried and decided he is an old old man at just over 70. I thank God every day that I am free of all his misery and selfishness and since we divorced I have been so very happy. I am really hard up and haven't been on holiday since the divorce but I am very very glad that I put the children first and waited until I was sure we had a settled future.
Good Morning Thursday Maundy Thursday 28th March 2024