Sometimes life has surprises in store for us… sometimes good ones, but all too often bad ones. And it’s when we think everything is going well—despite a few minor hiccups—that reality hits us right in the face. Lost in family life and stuck in a monotonous relationship for several years, we wake up one morning telling ourselves that we’re too young for our lives to be like this. A massive realization—one that some people may never have.
My therapist calls it a midlife crisis! Whatever you call it, it hits hard. And then you start questioning everything… why have I been making the same requests to my dear partner for years, with no results? Why am I always exhausted, why do I get no help, and why do I feel like I never have time for myself—not even in the bathroom? Some would say that’s just what being a mom is all about. I agree that becoming a mom means sacrificing yourself for the happiness of those little ones, but when a mom no longer recognizes herself and no one is there to support her, what does she do? Who can she turn to? And when you seek counseling, talk it through, and nothing changes… what do you do?
For my part, after months of soul-searching, consultations, and conversations, I left… it was the only option I could see to get myself out of this life that no longer met my needs. Obviously, it came as a shock to everyone around me, including the person most directly involved, who had shared my life for over a decade. He didn’t understand; my signs hadn’t been obvious enough, I hadn’t talked to him about it enough… yet it seemed to me that all I’d done for the past six months was talk! I was the one who was at the end of my rope, devastated, and I was the one who ended up being blamed. And quite honestly, looking back, I should have acted sooner and left home before things got that far, because there would still have been a chance for reconciliation, for turning back the clock.
Unfortunately, for me, it was already too late. So don’t wait until you’re at the end of your rope—take care of your relationship and your partner, because when your partner ends up last on the long list of life’s priorities, you end up drifting apart, becoming indifferent, and no longer caring about their happiness. And at that point, despite all your good intentions, it’s over.