A year ago to the day, my stbxw asked to divorce. It was a torrid year for most of it - I spent the first weeks alone, thousands of miles from home, and then the next months bouncing around between places while dealing with a ton of personal and professional stress. For a good 9 months, I couldn't even bear to listen to music.

It's still hard some days - and the run up to this 'anniversary' really stressed me out. But I spent the morning cleaning my own place, listening to music, and it made me think of how things do get better.

If you're at the start of a journey, hold on. Try to be kind with yourself. If possible, try to be kind with your ex-partner and children. Work on yourself with humility and persistence. One day it'll feel like you're building again.